Why Use Daily Safety Forklift Checklists?

As large pieces of machinery, forklifts are dangerous and practicing safety with your forklift truck and operators should never be taken lightly. When operating your forklift in Irving, there are guidelines that must be followed. While daily safety forklifts can seem tedious, they are of immense importance and should be made a top priority to ensure the safety of your workers and pedestrians in your workspace.

December 7, 2018

The large majority of forklift accidents, injuries, and fatalities occur when safety regulations are neglected. Around 100,000 workers are injured each year due to negligence or improper safety training. While daily safety checklists should be implemented out of concern, they also should be implemented out of legal obligations, which are enforced by the OSHA. The OSHA has developed a safety checklist that can be used, however, it is best to add any more necessary items to that list depending on the type of environment you are working in, etc.

The best way to ensure your checklist covers all of the important areas is to have a group meeting with your workers who know the environment and the daily tasks well enough to give input. You will also want to ensure that all of your operators are adequately trained, and additionally, this meeting may help you identify which ones may need further training. When going into your safety meeting with your workers, start with this holistic checklist.

BASIC FOUNDATION AND KEY COMPONENTS OF YOUR HOLISTIC FORKLIFT SAFETY PROGRAM:

Is every forklift operator properly trained as required by OSHA’s Powered Industrial Truck Operator’s training standard?
Are operators trained to operate forklifts near pedestrians and other workers?
Have workers on foot in the work area been trained to work safely near the forklift?
Who is in charge of implementing the daily safety checklist inspection of forklifts? Are they qualified?
Do your forklift operators know what to do in emergency situations such as a forklift turning over?
Do forklift operators know how to drive on various terrains such as grades and ramps?
Do the forklift operators understand and know how to determine the load capacity of the truck in operation?
Are seatbelts required on the forklift?
Are operators well informed as to how the forklift load capacity changes when lift attachments are being used?
Have those authorized to fuel the forklifts been adequately trained for the said task?
Do forklift operators know the safest way to mount and dismount particular forklifts?

You should be viewing your forklift safety guidelines holistically and more than as just a daily checklist. You also need to ensure that the person operating the forklift and inspecting it daily is qualified. Ensure you make it a priority to educate your forklift operators on the importance of practicing safety. The best method of safety is knowledge and experience.

Ace Equipment is a trusted forklift repair service company in Irving. We are here to help you with all your forklift inquiries from safety, to rentals, to purchases, to service. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.