Ways To Prevent Forklift Truck Accidents.
Today 1% of all accidents which happen within the confines of a factory will involve an electric forklift truck. But it is these accidents which actually make up 10% of the all physical injuries caused to people involved in them. In most cases the accident will often be blamed on the person who is operating the forklift truck at the time (forklift truck training is equally important in any safety scheme), yet most will actually have been caused not by the operator but the environment around them. If operating used forklift trucks it's also vital to ensure they are fully services and maintained to manufacturers specifications.
However there are a number of ways in which these accidents can be prevented in the future and we will take a look at some of the ways below. 1. Limit the Speeds By regulating the speed at which they are able to move through the workplace will help to prevent accidents occurring. Unfortunately these vehicles are not designed to stop instantly and need around 1.3 feet for every mile per hour that they are traveling at to stop. Also it takes around 3/4 of a second for the operator of the machine to react to a hazard and then another full second for the truck to actually respond to what the driver has done. In many businesses where forklift trucks are used the speed limit allowed is only 8 mph (miles per hour) however in areas where pedestrians are to be found then this is further reduced to 3mph. 2. Warning Equipment Every forklift truck (electric or otherwise) today must be fitted with a horn and the driver should have been taught how to monitor the direction in which he is traveling. But as well as this he must learn how to use the horn properly in order to warn others especially those people who happen to be in the truck's blind spot. In some cases employers will require their forklift truck operators (drivers) to use their horn as soon as they start to move as well as to warn others of him approaching where they are. As part of any forklift truck driver's training they should be taught where the various blind spots are to be found on their vehicles as well as in the path they are driving in order that they may evaluate the risks. Certainly the chances of accidents being prevented through limiting the forklift truck operators speed and them using warning devices will be greatly improved. In fact many companies are now bound by Health & Safety regulations to which they must comply else they could find themselves being asked to stop trading until such time as the problems have been solved. Forklifts in Industry
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