10 Forklift Safety Rules

Powered industrial trucks, aka forklifts, are found in workplaces every in all kinds of industries. These vehicles weigh thousands of pounds, posing serious risks when not operated with care and standards are not followed. Below we have compiled a list of best practices for keeping workers and operators safe around forklifts. Conduct inspections: OSHA requires all forklifts to be examined ...

Avoid incidents with forklifts by maintaining a clear traffic plan for the forklifts and pedestrians. If at all possible, pedestrians should never have to walk in the path of the forklift nor should the forklift have to move through pedestrian traffic. Managers should look at the forklift and pedestrian traffic to see where there is interaction and how it can ...

A safe forklift speed is a speed that is reasonable and prudent to the work environment. The faster a forklift travels, the more the risk increases for injury if a collision was to occur.  

A safe forklift speed is a speed that is reasonable and prudent to the work environment. The faster a forklift travels, the more the risk increases for injury if a collision was to occur.

Just like when traveling in a vehicle, a forklift driver should always be aware of pedestrians and give them the right of way.

Almost all forklifts are designed for driver riders only, unless the forklift has been specifically designed to accommodate an additional rider. Never allow additional riders to board the forklift, as this can create an unstable balance and also block the driver’s line of view.

The position of the forks is crucial when driving a forklift. The forks should always be positioned as low as possible (but high enough to clear bumps) when traveling throughout the work facility.

Never raise or lower loads on the forks while the forklift is in motion. This limits the stability of the load and may cause an unsafe imbalance.

Corners are often the most hazardous areas for forklift traffic due the natural inability to see around a corner before approaching it.

Many people have a natural instinct to stay right when driving forklift because in the U.S. we also drive motor vehicles and stay to the right as well. However, sometimes it is possible to forget this rule and veer out of the lane to the left or right. This then becomes a safety hazard as some pedestrians or other forklifts ...

Unfortunately, many workplaces have blind spots in their facilities. These are spots where it is hard to see into unless you are in the blind spot, then it is hard to see out of or around it. Forklift drivers should always exercise extra caution when approaching or entering these areas.

This is something that is easily overlooked by many forklift drivers. Grease spots Spills Oil smears Loose sand or dirt These can all be dangerous to a forklift driver with a load in transport as they may cause the forklift to slide or slip and lose traction to the floor.