With National Forklift Safety Day quickly approaching, Toyota Material Handling encourages all forklift users to celebrate by practicing safe forklift use. National Forklift Safety Day should also serve as a reminder that forklift safety is a practice calling for year-round commitment from everyone in your facility, operators and pedestrians alike.
The best way to ensure a safe work environment where forklifts are in use is to have a plan for both your operators and your facility. Here are three ways you can maintain safe forklift use in your facility year round.
Ensure all operators are properly trained and qualified to operate forklift equipment.
It’s required by law (OSHA Regulation: 29CFR1910.178(l)) that forklift operators be trained before they can legally operate a forklift. Even after forklift operators are trained and ready to work, the employer must reevaluate each operator every three years to make sure their skills are up to par. It is also the responsibility of employers to make sure that each operator has the proper training on every kind of equipment they use (e.g., being trained to operate a sit-down counterbalanced forklift does not mean you’re trained to operate an order picker). Only trained operators who have read and understood the operator’s manual should operate forklifts.
If you are a forklift operator, know your forklift and facility.
Forklift operators should know the ins and outs of every forklift they operate as well as when and where the forklift can and will be used. They should conduct daily pre-operation inspections and be familiar with a forklift’s warning signs for malfunction.
Operators should also be familiar with the facility they’re working in and should be evaluated in the actual environment where they will be using the forklift as part of their operator safety training.
If you are a pedestrian, be aware of your duties within a facility.
Pedestrians in areas where forklifts are operating share the responsibility of maintaining a safe environment. Know the designated walkways. Wear safety goggles and/or closed-toe shoes when required. Understand that a forklift operator may not be able to see you.
Establishing a culture of awareness and communication within your facility will go a long way in ensuring an all-around safer operation. Have a question about forklift operator safety training or maintaining safe forklift use in your facility? Your local Toyota Forklift dealer will be happy to assist you in getting the information or training you need.
Submitted by Toyota Material Handling, www.toyotaforklift.com
