June is National Safety Month and June 13 is National Forklift Safety Day.
Forklifts play a vital role in keeping businesses moving – from transporting products to operating in heavy-duty outdoor applications. National Forklift Safety Day serves as an important day for forklift manufacturers to highlight the safe use of material handling equipment and the importance of operator training.
Make sure your operators are properly driving the lift trucks in your fleet. Below are a few simple forklift safety tips and guidelines from Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. to help keep your operators and your workplace productive and safe.
Forklift Safety Rules of the Road
Safety Rules For Forklift Entry:
- Always check hands and feet for grease or oil before entering.
- Use the three-point method: grab the assist grip with your left hand and the hip restraint with your right hand.
- Avoid grabbing the steering wheel.
Best Practices:
- Always use the lift truck’s operator seat belt or restraint system.
- Stay inside the operator compartment, and never reach into moving parts of the truck.
- Obey all company safety rules and posted traffic signs – including speed limits.
- Keep a clear view of the path of travel.
- Start, stop and change directions smoothly.
- Sound the horn and slow down when approaching intersections, blind corners, door and ramp openings, pedestrians and other vehicles, and when backing up.
- When traveling, keep the forks in a low position that provides adequate clearance over the surfaces you will travel.
- Maintain a safe distance from the edge of docks.
- Operators should always wear the required protective clothing and equipment for your application, such as steel-toed shoes and a safety vest.
- Ensure all operators are properly trained and certified to operate a lift truck.
For more information on forklift training, click here.