Important basics for every driver and entrepreneur
Without forklift trucks – in all their versions – nothing works in many (manufacturing) companies or in the logistics sector. Its compact dimensions combined with high performance and great maneuverability make it a flexible and versatile vehicle. However, the work also involves a high risk potential.
Numerous factors are decisive for safe handling, which can vary depending on the area of application, the respective task or the skills of the driver. There are numerous details that need to be considered during use. We provide answers to numerous aspects relating to occupational safety with forklift trucks.
FORKLIFT TRUCKS: USE AND DRIVING CLOSE TOGETHER
Forklift trucks are one of the most important vehicles and tools for the entire logistics sector, including all niches. What can be moved with its forks, usually driven by hydraulic power, goes far beyond what humans are capable of. At the same time, the forklift truck is many times faster and can be used conveniently and at very low operating costs.
However, working with a forklift truck also involves a number of inherent dangers due to its design:
- The often very confined space in which the forklift truck has to move – in a machine hall, for example.
- Use at a very close distance from other people, installations and equipment.
- The necessarily rigid (unsprung) chassis of many forklift trucks in combination with the typically short-ratio rear-wheel steering.
The variety of operating elements – especially for forklifts that have additional functions that deviate from the general standard.
- The fact that the actual work of the forks often takes place a few meters above the driver’s head, whereby the driver does not have a completely clear view of what is happening due to the mast, fork carriage and safety roof.
- The often very high loads that act downwards outside the vehicle’s center line and are only balanced by the rear weight.
In addition, some forklift variants also represent technical compromise solutions. For example, the truck-mounted forklift, which has to be very compact in order to be carried as an additional work tool by trucks.
Safety when working with forklift trucks must always be a top priority. The risk of causing costly damage is too great and real – even if it remains property damage. A good 35,000 accidents involving industrial trucks occur in Germany every year, almost two thirds of which involve forklift trucks. The following points are important for safe working with forklift trucks.
1.USE ONLY TRAINED PERSONNEL
On the surface, one might think that anyone could drive a forklift – after all, the device is typically moved on private property, which means that there is no automatic obligation to hold a driving license.
However, BG regulation D27, also known as the “Accident Prevention Regulation for Industrial Trucks“, always applies on company premises.
This is clearly stated in §7:
“(1) The employer may only entrust the independent driving of industrial trucks with a driver’s seat or driver’s platform to persons who
- are at least 18 years old,
- are suitable and trained for this activity and
- have demonstrated their competence. The order must be placed in writing.
[…] Drivers of industrial trucks are trained and qualified for this activity if they have been trained in accordance with the BG principle “Training and commissioning of drivers of industrial trucks with driver’s seat and driver’s platform” (BGG 925), have passed an examination in theory and practice and can provide proof of this.
First of all, this means that every driver must have a forklift license, for which we provide the necessary training. the necessary instruction offer. However, the license is only the basis for being able to operate forklift trucks in a commercial environment.
Furthermore, the UVV also stipulates that every driver must receive vehicle-specific instruction and must also be instructed in the special features of the company (e.g. for new hires).
These measures provide an important basic framework that significantly minimizes many risks. However, even trained personnel are only the basis on which further security measures should be built.
Source: stock.adobe.com © LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS
2. MAKE THE AREA SUITABLE FOR FORKLIFT TRUCKS
Due to their technical design, many forklift trucks can only be used on level, smooth surfaces. Exceptions such as rough-terrain forklifts confirm this rule. This means that the vehicles should only be moved on a surface that is suitable for their technical requirements:
- If possible, the subfloor should be a closed level. A concrete floor is therefore much more suitable than interlocking paving, for example.
- Joints, thresholds, hills, depressions and the like should be kept to a minimum. Highly functional drainage must be ensured, especially in outdoor areas.
- Ramps and similar driveways should have an angle of inclination that is well below what is technically possible for the forklift truck in question.
- The premises must be designed in such a way that maneuvering is also possible for less experienced drivers without any problems.
- Traffic routes should be developed and marked in accordance with workplace regulations so that there is no risk of accidents between forklift trucks and pedestrian traffic. Furthermore, there must never be any temporary (unexpected) obstacles – such as temporarily stored goods on pallets.
In this context, however, it is also important that drivers are encouraged to recognize the individual operational requirements. This means extreme caution when driving on slopes and no need (or even possibility) to turn on them.
In this context, it is very important to have a work culture that ensures that there are enough forklifts and drivers available at all times so that there is never pressure to trade safety for speed at work. This point is often neglected and is also one of the most fundamental causes of accidents involving forklift trucks.
Source: stock.adobe.com © petunyia
3. USE SUITABLE STACKERS
Forklift trucks can differ fundamentally in their design. In addition, there are numerous models from different manufacturers. Another danger when working with forklifts is that not every model is equally suitable for every location and job.
In principle, this applies not only to the drive technology, but also to the dimensions and performance of the truck. Two important points are decisive for the suitability of an industrial truck for a company or a specific job:
- Designed for the most confined workspace in the company
- Can be used for the largest possible potential loads that will occur
In other words: as small as possible, as powerful as necessary. The technical equipment must also be taken into account: Additional aids that ensure safety during operation also ensure efficient work.
However, suitable models are only one part of the safety concept. Another important factor is the fact that forklifts are subject to a high degree of wear and tear, especially in shift operation. This results in two key recommendations for action:
- A culture of attention and reporting must be created among all those involved. Damage or signs of wear and tear must never be accepted or treated as secondary. Both the drivers and the responsible specialist personnel who carry out the necessary repair work directly are required to do so.
- The maintenance intervals specified by the manufacturer must be strictly adhered to. Necessary work should only be carried out by fitters or specialist companies suitable for this model.
Source: stock.adobe.com © Riccardo Arata
4. SPECIAL FEATURES IN PUBLIC AREAS
In many companies, the forklift truck only leaves the enclosed company premises for major repairs. In other companies, however, the vehicles also have to work in public areas or at least cross them. This includes public roads as well as private areas where quasi-public use is tolerated – such as the loading zone of an industrial company that is accessible without a barrier or the parking lot of a wholesale company.
To ensure that an industrial truck can be operated safely in these areas of use, a number of measures are mandatory:
- Forklifts with a maximum speed of up to 20 km/h must have a sticker with the owner’s name and address attached. Forklifts that can reach higher speeds must have an official license plate with lighting at the rear.
- The truck must be equipped with a complete lighting system (headlights, indicators, marker lights, tail lights, flashing lights, reversing lights and reflectors).
- The truck must be equipped with a complete lighting system (headlights, indicators, marker lights, tail lights, flashing lights, reversing lights and reflectors).
- The driver needs a seat belt system, a horn and exterior mirrors.
- In addition, the use of tires with tread is mandatory.
The unwritten but equally important rules also include driving even more carefully and slowly in such areas. Here, forklift drivers must always be aware of the danger that not everyone else in the catchment area is behaving in accordance with the risks.
In addition, in many places the road surface is significantly worse than in controlled indoor conditions. This requires particularly sensitive driving in order to avoid dangerous situations (such as tipping over due to driving over potholes too quickly).
Source: stock.adobe.com © sas
5. AVOID PARTICULARLY RISKY MANEUVERS
Only a small proportion of all accidents involving forklift trucks are caused by unavoidable problems – such as sudden technical failures. The majority are caused by incorrect or excessively risky use of the forklift truck – often because there is too much deadline pressure.
In addition to the working environment already mentioned, which avoids such pressure situations, it is therefore also important to avoid particularly risky maneuvers at all costs. These are above all
- Maneuvering in tight spaces without a second person acting as a guide.
- Moving the truck even though the forks are in a high position.
- Twin work with forklifts that are too weak. Such work should only be carried out if each forklift truck involved can carry at least 2/3 of the load.
- Reversing without sufficient visibility. One of the biggest accident risks of all.
- Driving too fast. In particular, bends and downhill driving with a load should be carried out at as low a speed as possible to avoid tipping. The speed must generally be adjusted so that even emergency braking cannot lead to tipping
- Using the tines to move people. Regardless of the constellation: this is simply prohibited.
- Lifting and moving loads that are not properly secured. If the load is not secured on a pallet, the forks themselves do not provide sufficient support.
- Lack of attention when driving through light/dark boundaries. In both cases, you should only move at walking pace to allow your eyes to adjust
Perhaps the riskiest maneuver, however, is one that is never done on purpose: Routine. The longer an operator drives “his” forklift truck, the more the work involved is mastered “as if in his sleep”, the more a dangerous carelessness can develop.
This should be avoided at all costs. A certain amount of variety can help here – for example, by organizing the work schedules in such a way that not every driver has to make the same trips during every shift. This is possible in most companies and often requires little more than intelligent scheduling.
