According to OSHA, forklift overturns are the leading cause of fatalities involving forklifts and they represent about 25% of all forklift-related deaths. While pedestrian safety is a key concern, the health of the forklift operator is also at risk. Forklift accidents often involve driving off a dock, lifts can fall between docks and unsecured trailers, and forklifts can easily be toppled over when the operator has overloaded the lift or drives in an unsafe manner.
Unfortunately, deaths while operating forklifts continue to plague industries in the United States and beyond. And no industry is exempt. Forklifts and other powered industrial trucks are used in retail, construction, manufacturing, service, transportation, and other industries right in our own back yard.
What can be done to address this issue? First, ensure all powered industrial truck operators are competent to use the equipment. OSHA mandated forklift and powered industrial truck operator training, not only in a classroom setting, but also testing in a hands-on practical application setting. The training reviews loads, use of the equipment, and how to maintain balance and stability.
Second, ensure all requirements of the standard which apply to your operation are met. After a review of various fatalities which have occurred, many of them involved operators not wearing their seat belts. A dead giveaway is if the seat belt is permanently clasped behind the operator. A daily inspection of forklifts is required before put into service each day, and this includes an inspection of the integrity of the seat belt. The OSHA website has an eTool to assist in breaking down the requirements of the standard.
There are also safety alert technologies which can be introduced into your operation to assist in preventing forklift and other powered industrial truck-related accidents. While convex mirrors may be appropriate for your operation, other operations may be a bit more congested or have multiple powered industrial trucks in operation at one time. Additional measures may need to be taken to reduce the number of accidents and near-misses.