If you are operating a forklift truck or designing a standard operating procedure for your company, you’ll need to focus on safety. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), roughly 34,900 accidents involving forklift trucks occur every year.
To prevent this, it’s important for operators to complete a forklift safety checklist, adorn the right protective equipment, and check to see whether the vehicle is in good working condition.
Conduct a Comprehensive Forklift Safety Inspection
If a forklift vehicle is not working as it should, it could cause an accident because of malfunctions. To prevent this, you will need to conduct a check to see whether there are:
- Problems with the parking brake,
- Issues with the exhaust system,
- Broken forklift attachments,
- Faulty mechanical safety devices,
- Damage to the steering wheel,
- Obstructions in the operator compartment,
- Functional hydraulic controls,
- Electrical safety devices that work,
- Seat belts, and more.
Keep in mind that there are different types of forklift trucks, so the operational inspection checklist should be tailored to suit that particular vehicle. Here are some of the most popular types:
- Internal combustion forklifts
- Liquid propane forklifts
- Electric forklifts
Suppose potential problems are identified during the operational inspection. In that case, they must be reported, and the forklift should not be used.
Wear Your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Once the forklift inspection checklist has been completed and the vehicle has been deemed safe, the forklift operator must then wear the correct PPE. These devices ensure that the person is able to drive the forklift safely and that they will be protected against serious injuries if something were to go wrong.
Do an Operational Check
Before you climb on and operate the forklift truck, you will need to check whether it works. Start the engine and listen for any strange sounds. Then, check the battery or fuel indicators to see whether they are in acceptable ranges.
You will also need to look for any warning lights that signal that there is a problem and assess the indicator lights to see whether they are functional. Finally, test the horn and alarms to confirm that they work.
Up Your Inspection Game with Record360
Daily forklift inspections are crucial to prevent accidents and injuries. However, traditional checklists and recordkeeping processes are often ineffective. With Record360, you can not only generate fully customized forklift inspection checklists but also use video and photo imagery to serve as proof.
Contact us today if you would like to learn more or sign up for a free demo!
