Driving a Forklift: A How-To Guide

Over 20,000 people are seriously injured in forklifts accidents in this country every year and some 100 people are killed. Many, if not all, of these accidents are avoidable. 

www.ehow.com/facts_5467595_forklift.html

Most people think, myself included, that if you can drive a car, a forklift would be no problem. It turns out that forklift operators need to be certified under Occupational Health and Safety Administration to drive their equipment. After discussing with a subject matter expert, the writers of this blog determined there were 26 different steps involved in driving a forklift.

We have divided these 26 steps into 6 subgroups to teach our readers how to operate a forklift safely.

 

http://www.prosofteng.com/blog/drive-genius-3-how-to-guides/

Forklift Operation

Before you begin

1) Read the operations manual

2) Perform pre-operation safety checklist

            -Circle check for tire inflation, damage, leaks, debris/obstacles, etc

            -Check tire pressure & refill if necessary

            -Check fluid levels/battery/propane etc

            -Check maintenance log & record usage

            -Put on any required safety gear (Steel toed boots/Hard hat/etc)

Starting up your vehicle

3) Connect battery/propane to forklift

4) Turn on forklift (Switch or key)

5) Check safety lights atop vehicle are working

6) Raise forks slightly before driving

Driving your forklift

7) Check that the area ahead is clear, shift the forklift into forward, release the parking brake, and press accelerator pedal to begin moving forward

8) Proceed to destination, obeying posted/regulation speed limits. Use the brake pedal and steering wheel to maintain speed and course as appropriate.

9) Sound horn before proceeding around any corners.

10) Observe mirrors or signals to ensure clear passage.

Lifting with the forklift

11) When approaching a load to be lifted, assess it before engaging – is the load evenly distributed? Is it within the rated weight limits of the forklift? Is the load appropriately secured? If the answer to any of these questions is no, ensure the safety of the load safe before proceeding.

12) Approach the load from directly in front.

13) Raise the forks to the level of the load, using the marked altitude lever.

14) Move the forklift forward, putting the forks into the load, keeping the load centered on the forks.

15) Raise the forks to lift the load off the ground or shelf.

16) Tilt the forks backwards to shift the load’s center of gravity toward the forklift, using the marked angle lever.

17) Shift the forklift into reverse, and move backwards until the load is clear of the shelf or storage area.

18) Lower the load to approx 1 foot from the ground. Never travel with the load raised.

19) Shift the forklift into forward, and proceed at the appropriate speed again to the load’s destination.

20) Reverse the loading procedure to carefully place the load in desired location.

21) Repeat as desired

Parking the forklift

22) At the end of the desired tasks, return the forklift to the docking bay

23) Shift the forklift into neutral, apply the parking brake, and turn off the forklift

After the ride

24) Record in the maintenance log all time logged on the forklift

25) Perform a circle check around the forklift again. Record any issues and actions taken to resolve them.

26) Reconnect the battery to charger, or remove propane tank for filling.  

ALWAYS REMEMBER  

http://www.safetypostershop.com/category/forklift-safety-posters/ 

Forklifts can be a powerful tool for many businesses. If you follow the 26 steps listed above, you should be able to have an incident free time on your forklift. Don't forget to get certified before you use a forklift.

For more information on forklift certification see: http://www.liftow.com/training/certified.asp