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7 Ways to Prevent Forklift and Equipment Hazards

Image of a forklift truckMechanised lifting and transportation greatly enhances the efficiency of workplace operations - but only if health and safety is given the attention it deserves. Neglecting hazards can cause accidents, leading to loss of livelihood, delayed operations, and disruption to both cost and time-efficiency.

Discover how you can boost the safety of your warehouse or workplace to avoid hazards and prevent accidents.

Understand your legal requirements

Stay on the right side of the law and ensure you have brushed up on the relevant health and safety legislation. As a company owner or manager, you are legally obliged to protect the wellbeing of your employees. Understanding all aspects of legislation will give you a valuable foundation of knowledge to devise a health and safety strategy that suits your workplace.

Choose the right equipment for the job

Selecting tools or equipment that are not appropriate for the task at hand can potentially cause injury and unsafe operations. It can also affect the quality of your project and delay completion of the overall job while any mistakes are being corrected. To avoid this, be sure to thoroughly research the capabilities of equipment before you purchase or hire.

Understand the limits of your machine

Making a habit of overloading your machine or straining it to complete jobs it wasn’t designed for can wreak havoc on its quality and longevity. Not only that, but the likelihood of accidents can also increase. In the case of forklifts, for example, always check the model number and the load capacity plate - ensure the operators are also aware of this information so they can accurately weigh and assess their loads.

Service equipment regularly

Catch small issues before they evolve into big problems. Just a simple, regular glance over your equipment can be the first stage in checking if there is anything wrong. As your workers get to know the equipment, they should be able to identify abnormalities more easily. However, some issues can be difficult to spot, which is why regular servicing and maintenance by a professional is vital.

Train up your workforce

A piece of equipment is only as dangerous as its operator. That’s why ensuring your workers receive the most up-to-date and relevant training is essential. Each piece of equipment or model may require specialist training - it is down to managers and business owners to research the practical and theoretical training that each employee requires, and sign them up for training courses.

Encourage health and safety in the workplace

If employees have been doing a job for a while, they may become complacent and lax when it comes to the finer points of health and safety. That’s why it’s important to be open and forthright in encouraging best working practices - be sure to be regularly vocal about this and enforce it.

Invest in safety equipment

Many safety aids and pieces of equipment are available for purchase or rental, especially for the assistance of forklift usage. Many reliable forklift companies stock and sell safety accessories and equipment, such as seat belt detection systems, road speed control, load-detection devices, and on-board cameras.

Author bio

East Midlands Forklifts are industry leaders in forklift truck and material handling solutions. Having well over 25 years experience in the industry, the team have developed our skills and knowledge so that we can offer the highest quality sales product and forklift services to our consistently satisfied across the Midlands region.

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