Top 4 MEWP Safety Hazards
Recognize and avoid the four major safety concerns associated with MEWPs.
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Recognize and avoid the four major safety concerns associated with MEWPs.
A forklift operator's hand wrapped around the operator compartment upright might seem like a rather inconsequential action until you consider that hand being accidentally scraped against a wall or crushed against an object. Watch the short video "Keep Body Parts Inside Forklift Compartment!".
How can we protect pedestrians in the workplace from forklift accidents and injuries? Pedestrians need training too!
Operators are instructed to refer to the safety labels on their equipment to answer operation questions and ensure safe operation. Therefore, it is especially important to be sure the labels on your equipment are legible and able to be read by operators.
Consistent workplace safety programs help companies stay on top of safety training, remain OSHA compliant and avoid undesirable outcomes.
Before operating your lift truck are you making sure you have a tow pin in place? Watch this short video about "Do you have a Tow Pin? Check your Operator's Manual"
Forklifts routinely support large amounts of weight and the base of that weight are the tires of the machine. The average forklift is three-times that of the average car, so having adequate tires are important to staying safe while using the vehicle.
Your lift truck may be your biggest resource to avoiding and anticipating accidents if your labels are legible and you can read your overhead warnings. Watch the short video "Warning! 17 Scenarios That Could Cause Death or Injury".
There is nothing worse than turning on a machine and realizing it has little to no battery charge. Watch the short video "Don't be fooled! Pick the Right Plug to Charge Your MEWP!"
When operating a powered industrial truck, anticipating a tip over could be a smart idea when thinking about how to avoid them or what to do in the case of one happening.
Did you know that tip-overs are the number one type of accident fatality on a scissor lift? That may leave you asking, how do I prevent tipping over while using a scissor lift? Watch the short video "Avoid Tipovers! Check your Weight Capacities and More"
The first step to ensuring that machinery is being operated safely is requiring that operators are gearing up with personal protection equipment, or PPE.
When starting a new work day, or switching machines, one of the most important things you can do is a visual walk around inspection prior to operation. Visual inspections allow operators to catch problems before they happen, problems that could turn into costly OSHA violations or equipment repairs. However, in order to utilize daily inspections effectively, there are a few things you will need to implement in addition to just walking around the machine.
Have you practiced using the emergency lowering device on your hydraulic lift? If not, you will want to become familiar with where this device is and how it works so that you know how to lower your lift in the event of an emergency. Watch the short video "Do You Know Where Your Emergency Lowering Device Is?"
Imagine visiting a country where you don’t speak the native language. You may be able to order food, find the restroom, and perform other basic functions to get by throughout the day.
However, once you need to perform a more complex task which may require true comprehension of the language versus just a basic understanding, the language barrier becomes a bigger problem and you realize that you are unable to fully execute this task.
More than likely, you are already familiar with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), as they create the standards for all MEWPs and MEWP operation in the US. What you may not know is that the Scaffold and Access Industry Association (SAIA) distributes these standards in a publishable format, specifically, as a physical manual called the SAIA Manual of Responsibilities. Watch the short video about “SAIA Required Manual of Responsibilities”
Every winter season, operators of MEWPs and forklifts are faced with a new set of challenges. Winter conditions do not always lend to the safest working environments, and therefore, operators must take special precautions once the weather starts getting colder.
Operations that run smoothly, and with few to zero forklift related injuries, are built as the result of effective operator training. But what exactly makes a forklift operator training program effective? And how does that align with OSHA’s requirements?
When you are investing in workplace safety, such as maintaining your equipment or installing new safety signage in the workplace, do you ever wonder how much an on-the-job injury could potentially cost your company? The truth is that there are multiple factors to consider when calculating the total cost of an injury. With each injury that occurs on the job, your company could incur healthcare/legal expenses, OSHA fines, financial losses due to decreased productivity, and other indirect expenses. When you look at the big picture, all of these hidden costs can really add up!
How long has it been since you’ve replaced the forks on your forklift truck? If you’re
questioning when, it might be a good time to take a closer look at your equipment.