The Dangers of Overloading Your Forklift
Each year, 1,300 UK employees are hospitalised with severe injuries as a result of forklift accidents, and this figure is growing. While inevitable accidents happen, many accidents can occur due to forklift truck misoperation or incompetence, which could easily be prevented with the correct training.
Statistics show that 42% of all fatalities are due to forklifts tipping over. Overloading your forklift is a prime example of carelessness that can result in your forklift tipping or falling, which can cause damage to both the truck and the stock, but most importantly the operator. So here are tips to remember to reduce the risk of any case.
Know Your Limits
Most forklift operators are familiar with their equipment's limits and know how crucial it is to never go beyond them. However, it is not unusual for forklift operators to become less stringent with their weight load from time to time, estimating rather than measuring the load. This is often what causes forklifts to become unstable and tip over, resulting in accidents, injuries, and, in some cases, deaths - therefore it is vital to know your limits.
Load Forklift Evenly
When using a forklift truck, it's crucial to make sure the weight is spread equally between the forks. The truck can tip over if the load is unbalanced which can be extremely dangerous for the operator and anyone nearby. Always check that the weight is balanced before beginning to raise it to prevent this.
Get Training
It is vital that your operators receive training to help identify safety risks and how to respond appropriately when malfunctions/accidents do occur.
At Welfaux, we provide high-quality, cost-effective, accredited
training courses on a variety of trucks and lifting equipment for all levels of experience. All of our educators are registered instructors with extensive experience in a wide range of forklift applications.
Welfaux Materials Handling have 36 years of experience in Forklift dealing and maintenance, providing us with the expertise to administer high-quality training courses.
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