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No. We’re not asking if your forklifts are prepared with festive lights and decorations. What we’re asking is are your trucks ready for the busy-ness of the holiday shopping season?
Ever wonder why there aren’t forklift operator licenses? After all, truck drivers need a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). Why don’t forklift operators need to be licensed? They operate big, heavy, potentially dangerous equipment.
MEWPs (Mobile Elevating Work Platforms) are useful tools in an industrial environment, allowing operators to reach heights that are otherwise out of reach. But when MEWPS are used outside, there are certain weather conditions that severely impact safe MEWP operation.
This blog post will explain the hazards and how to manage them.
Read the article "Safety tips for operating a Mobile Elevating Work Platform outdoors"
Is your forklift like a see-saw?
Read the article "The Basic Principles of Forklift Stability"
A forklift’s tires can either reduce the chance of accidents or cause them. Tires are truly THAT fundamental to a forklift’s operation, so we always recommend a daily tire check. It can make the difference between causing an accident and preventing one.
Read the article "Are your forklift tires going to cause an accident?"
On National Forklift Safety Day, Let’s Dispel Dangerous Myths Surrounding Forklift Safety!
What are the most common, serious forklift accidents and how can you help prevent them? OSHA estimates that more than 85 people are killed in forklift-related incidents, around 34,900 seriously injured and another 61,800 suffer non-serious injuries.
Read the article "What are the most common, serious forklift accidents?"
Have you ever had a forklift or MEWP operator ask this question? We’ll bet you have.
Read the article "Do I need to do a pre-shift inspection every day?"
Is forklift operator a smart career move for you?
Read the article "Is forklift operator a smart career move for you?"
For the safety of operators and other workers, OSHA requires forklift and MEWP operators to be certified before they operate the equipment. The employer is ultimately responsible for providing training programs since training must be tailored to each facility and equipment model.
Read the article "How do I get my Forklift Operator Certification?"
How can we protect pedestrians in the workplace from forklift accidents and injuries? Pedestrians need training too!
Read the article "Forklift safety for pedestrians. It’s essential for your plant."
This blog post will summarize the most important things you can do to protect operators and equipment and maintain safety during winter.
Read the article "Safe Winter Operation for Forklifts and MEWPs"
This blog post will list some of the most common objections to forklift training and give you valuable information you can use in support of training.
Read the article "Common Misconceptions about Training (and how to get past them)"
How many ways can forklift mast chains fail? What are the signs operators should look for to prevent these dangerous failures? What could happen when forklift chain fails? Even with normal usage, mast chains will wear out. Overloading, misaligned chain and other problems cause premature wear and damage. Learn what to look for when inspecting chains in this TrainMOR Topics article.
Powered Industrial Truck Operator Training is not optional, but sometimes can feel like an impediment to productivity—a necessary but unprofitable activity. But, what if, in reality, operator training is saving you time and money? What if it is actually one of the best investments you can make in your business? There are at least 6 benefits to investing in forklift operator training and we’ve outlined them here in this article.
We rely on them to lift and move heavy loads, but in the hands of untrained, inexperienced or careless operators, forklift trucks pose some serious risks in the workplace. Lower your risk by being aware of these common and completely avoidable forklift-related OSHA violations.
Off-center loads, overloading, loading damaged or loose loads, and driving too fast are all too frequent causes of serious and fatal forklift accidents. In this article we review how forklift operators can ensure load stability to profoundly reduce injuries and death due to tip-overs, spills, and other forklift accidents.
Did you know that most of the forklift damage done to products is because of the forks? Forks that aren’t positioned properly can puncture and tear product packaging. Poorly positioned forks may also snag shelving or lead to spills.
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!".
Read the article "VIDEO: Keep Your Hands Inside the Compartment at All Times!"
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.
Read the article "Video: Legible Labels Avoid Liability - Quick Tip to Replace Them"
Consistent workplace safety programs help companies stay on top of safety training, remain OSHA compliant and avoid undesirable outcomes.
Read the article "Why You Need a Workplace Safety Program and How We Can Help"
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".
Read the article "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!"
Read the article "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"
Read the article "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.
Read the article "Daily Walk Around Inspections: How and Why to Conduct Them"
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?"
Read the article "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.
Read the article "Why You Should Invest in Native-Language Instruction"
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”
Read the article "Video: 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.
Read the article "Operating MEWPs and Forklifts in Winter Conditions"
When you have Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) in use in your workplace, the threshold for accidents is inevitably higher. If any of your employees are utilizing these kinds of equipment, what are your plans in case of an accident?
Read the article "MEWPs and the Elevated Risks: Creating a Rescue Plan"
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.
Read the article "When, Why and How to Replace The Forks on your Forklift Truck"