Unfortunately Forklift accidents do occur that can result in injury and life’s lost. Lets take a look at some of the statistics.
- Roughly there are 85 fatalities each year.
- 34,900 serious injuries occur each year.
- 42% of fatalities are by operator’s being crushed by rollover’s and tipping.
Common factors that contribute to forklift accidents.
- Travelling with the load/forks elevated
- Travelling at excessive speed.
- Turning at excessive speed.
- Reverse traveling without shoulder checking/being aware of your surroundings.
- Not watching fork placement.
- Not warning others that the forklift is nearby.
- Overloading and load off center.
- Parking and turning on grades.
- Letting co-workers ride on forklift.
- Not inspecting trailer decks prior to loading.
- Inadequate inspection and servicing of forklift.
- Driving with limited vision
- Horse play.
- Not being aware of surroundings and changing work environment at all times.
- Improper mount/dismount of Forklift.
Daily pre-use inspections are mandatory and is part of the regulations that operators must follow. Failure to conduct the inspection can put the operator and others lives at risk. Here are some mechanical conditions that can cause risk of forklift accidents.
- Leaks in the hydraulic systems.
- Malfunction of mast assembly.
- Brake malfunction
- Steering malfunction
- Safety device malfunction
- Transmission malfunction
- Flat, under inflated pneumatic tires
- Worn out, cracked and separated solid/cushion tires.
- Broken/faulty seatbelt.
- Cracked/broken Forks.