Safety Systems for Forklift Equipment
If your company uses forklifts in any way, it is an absolute necessity to have forklift equipment safety procedures in place. Forklifts are powerful pieces of equipment and can lead to a variety of workplace injuries and even fatalities. That is why maintaining OSHA forklift regulations needs to be a priority—not only for compliance but to keep your employees and workplace safe as well.
At ELOKON, we provide custom safety solutions to help you maintain forklift equipment safety standards without having to sacrifice efficiency. In this article, we will be discussing OSHA forklift pedestrian safety rules and how you can maintain better forklift safety within your fleet.
Understanding OSHA Forklift Regulations and OSHA Forklift Pedestrian Safety
For safer fleet management, you need to maintain compliance with OSHA forklift regulations. OSHA sets the standard for workplace safety and provides a comprehensive checklist that is easy for forklift operators to follow:
- Operate the forklift according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Always wear a seatbelt if the forklift has one.
- Watch for pedestrians and maintain a safe speed limit.
- If provided, use proper footing and handholds when entering the vehicle.
- Never exceeded the rated load.
- Do not attempt to raise or lower the load while the forklift is traveling.
- Keep a safe distance from the platform and ramp edges.
- Maintain clear visibility of the work area when operating the forklift.
- Use horns at cross aisles and obstructed areas to alert other drivers and pedestrians.
- Be aware of other vehicles in the area.
Additionally, here are some OSHA safety standards you should follow, especially if you are responsible for a company that uses material handling equipment:
- Only allow trained drivers to operate forklifts.
- Provide training for specific types of forklifts.
- Maintain regular repairs and maintenance according to manufacturer's recommendations.
- Keep forklifts in clean condition.
- Remove any forklifts from service if they are found to be in unsafe operating condition.
The Forklift Safety Rules Your Company Should Follow
Now that you understand OSHA's forklift pedestrian safety regulations, how can you initiate better safety solutions within your fleet? This is a question every company should ask if it uses equipment like forklifts.
Here is a breakdown of the different steps you can take to improve forklift safety rules for safer operations.
Forklift Operator Training
For any type of material handling that involves forklifts, the forklift operators need to go through training. Having untrained drivers not only increases the risk of costly mistakes and a lack of efficiency, but it also increases the risk of a serious accident occurring. Untrained forklift drivers are a risk to themselves and everyone else in the workplace.
All new forklift operators need to go through a training program that teaches them the specifics of the forklifts they will be operating. It is also beneficial to have refresher courses with ongoing and updated training, especially as you update your process and safety technology.
Maintenance and Inspections
Aside from training your forklift operators, maintaining the forklifts themselves is also a crucial part of improving workplace safety. If a forklift is not maintained and starts to have issues or malfunctions, this can greatly increase the risk of an accident occurring.
Your company needs to have a maintenance schedule in place to check all of the major components of each forklift, such as the brakes, lights, and tires. Maintenance improves operating safety and can also help you spot issues before they require a more costly repair.
Forklift drivers should also have to go through pre-operation inspections to ensure the critical forklift systems are operational.
Monitor Performance
Even if you have forklift equipment safety rules in place that encourage extensive training and forklift maintenance, you still need to monitor performance. You should regularly monitor the performance of both the forklift drivers and the forklift themselves.
Keep track of key performance indicators such as unexpected downtime and accident rates with your fleet. Performance indicators can help you spot issues early on as well as better predict potential risks within your operation.
The drivers' performance should also be closely monitored to ensure they maintain a culture of safety and the safety practices provided in their training. Having refresher safety courses can help with this by encouraging drivers to be proactive and voice any concerns they may have.
Use Up-to-Date Safety Technology
Technology advancements have made it easier than ever to maintain equipment safety, such as OSHA forklift pedestrian safety standards. Because of this, your company should be taking advantage of automated safety solutions for better fleet management and workplace awareness.
At ELOKON, our advanced safety technology provides a customized approach to fit the unique needs of your daily operations. Our safety systems help to create safer forklift operations, better efficiency, and less risk of human error.
Here are some examples of the types of safety technology systems that ELOKON provides:
- ELOfleet: This is the world's most app-centric fleet management system, designed for material handling equipment like forklifts. Its smartphone capabilities help to streamline fleet performance data, safety checklists, access control, and impact monitoring in a cost-effective way.
- ELOshield: This protection system uses proximity detection to reduce the risk of forklift collisions. Its design uses an ultra-wideband proximity detection that automatically warns drivers of any nearby objects, vehicles, or pedestrians.
- ELOprotect: This automatic pedestrian system helps forklifts safely navigate very narrow aisles. It specifically protects pedestrians with advanced laser technology that warns drivers of any potential collisions. Keep in mind that ELOprotect is only suitable for VNA forklifts.