How to be safe while operating a forklift in the winter

It is of course always important to practice all of the necessary safety precautions when operating your forklift, or any heavy machinery for that matter… But different safety precautions need to be observed and put into use depending on the different operating environments you may be working in. This means whether or not you are operating your forklift indoors or outdoors, rough terrain or smooth terrain, narrow ways with sharp corners or wide-open spaces, wet or dry environments, and finally, what we are going to talk about today, colder environments. Things get busy during the holiday season, the weather changes, and so does your workload. So, it’s important to make sure that you are aware of the proper safety precautions to take when operating your forklift in the winter.

#1 Give your forklift a minute to warm up before operating

Just how we tend to give our cars a minute to warm up before driving them, you should also do the same when starting up your forklift. Give the machine just a bit of time to warm up and get its gears going. This will lessen the chance of the occurrence of any combustion and transmission related problems.

#2 Ensure that the forklift is equipped for the operating conditions

It’s important that your forklift is in proper order before taking it out into any like new weather conditions. As per usual, check all the safety lights, bulbs, etc. If you plan to operate your forklift in the snow, you will possibly need to have proper snow or ice kits installed to your forklift, such as, chains, tires, covers, etc.

#3 Stay alert of the varying conditions

The forklift will run a bit differently based on the conditions it is working in, this means that you need to be fully alert when taking to these various conditions. Especially when operating your forklift in wet or icy conditions, you must be extremely careful and alert of your surroundings.

#4 Use the correct amount of anti-freeze

When operating a forklift that runs on diesel, it is extremely important to take into account using the right amount of anti-freeze in your machine. This will prevent the engine coolant from freezing and damaging regular operations and parts of your forklift.

If you have any more questions about proper forklift operation, or forklift sales in DFW, you may be looking for a forklift company in Arlington. Here at Ace Equipment, our knowledgeable and caring team will be happy to help assist you with any questions you may have about renting or buying a forklift. Contact us today, and let us help assist you with your forklift needs.