Operating Forklift Trucks Safely

The Health and Safety Executive accident statistics show that workplace transport is the second biggest cause of occupational fatalities after falls from heights.

Seventy people are killed each year in accidents involving transport at work, around eight of these fatalities involve forklift trucks and, of 2,249 accidents reported in one year involving forklift trucks, 626 resulted in major injuries such as broken bones and amputations. So are you operating your forklift trucks safely?

The forklift truck has become a commonplace
part of working life from the building site to the distribution warehouse, in fact most workplaces which have a warehouse of some description will have the need for a forklift truck.

The following article considers the actions an employer needs to take to ensure forklift trucks are used safely at work.

Truck Maintenance

Two of the most important requirements for the safe operation of forklift trucks are maintenance of the truck itself and the effective training and licensing of forklift truck drivers.

Forklift trucks are classed as lifting equipment under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations, as such they must be subjected to inspection every 6 months. In addition to this, other items of the truck will need regular inspection and maintenance. Safety devices such as reversing alarms, horns and lights (if fitted), will require regular inspection to ensure they are working effectively. In the event of an accident involving a forklift truck, one of the first pieces of evidence that will be looked for will be records to prove that the truck was being effectively maintained.

Driver Training

The effective training of forklift truck drivers is as important as ensuring a forklift truck has been correctly maintained.

Prior to training, an employer should ensure that any employees put forward for training demonstrate a responsible attitude and have the required degree of physical and mental fitness. Employees with disabilities, however, should not necessarily be excluded from training and medical advice should be sought on a case-by-case basis, prior to allowing training.   

Training young persons (under the age of 18), as forklift truck drivers requires special consideration. By law, no one under the age of 18 is allowed to operate a forklift truck on dock premises, however, if considering training a young person in forklift truck operation, then a young person's risk assessment will be required and special account will need to be taken of their inexperience and greater capacity to act in a reckless manner. Almost certainly, any young person either operating a forklift truck or training to operate one, will need a greater degree of supervision than an ordinary employee.

Forklift truck training should consist of the following three stages:

• Basic Training
  Basic skills and knowledge for safe truck operation, including activities like charging.
• Specific Job Training
  Operating principles and controls, routine inspection and servicing of trucks, use in the conditions the operator will encounter at work (e.g. ramps, site rules) and use of special handling equipment.
• Familiarisation Training
  Operation on the job underclose supervision.

There are many different types of forklift truck and the training given to an employee must be for the specific type of truck they will operate.

Supervisor Training

As well as driver training, those supervising forklift truck operations in the workplace will need sufficient knowledge and competence to recognise safe and unsafe practices in the workplace and take appropriate action.

A supervisor does not therefore need to attend a forklift truck training course, but needs to have demonstrable proof that they have the experience and knowledge to supervise truck operations effectively.

Refresher Training

The requirement for refresher training in forklift operation is not a clearly defined requirement, however, employers should assess driver training and competence on a regular basis and refresher training should be considered where:

• Operator performance does not meet requirements (e.g. too many incidents occurring or not operating according to safe operating procedures, for example, speeding).
• There are significant changes in the premises or the way operations are carried out.

The most important thing to ensure as an employer is that you can prove that your forklift truck operators are competent and remain so.

Other Factors

Though training and truck maintenance are major factors in the safe operation of forklift trucks, they are not the only ones and it can be these other factors that can lead to accidents, these factors are discussed below.

Segregation

To minimise the chances of collisions between forklift truck and pedestrians and other vehicles, consideration should be given to segregation of the workplace. Actions that can be taken include:

• Defined pedestrian walkways or forklift truck operation areas.
• Measures to restrict access to areas where forklift trucks operate.
• Separate entrances/exits to/from the workplace for forklift trucks and pedestrians and other vehicles.

Safe Operating Procedures

These should include:

• Use of the horn when entering/exiting areas in the workplace or where such warnings are identified as required (e.g. blind corners).
• Identification of specific hazards e.g. blind corners, areas where other vehicles may be operating, slopes, ramps etc.
• Setting and ensuring compliance with a site speed limit.
• Removal of keys by the operator when a truck is left unattended.

Warnings and Site Maintenance

It should be ensured that:

• Appropriate warnings should be posted around the site warning of forklift truck operations or other relevant hazards.
• Surfaces over which forklift trucks operate are maintained to a suitable standard (except where rough terrain forklift trucks are used).
• The workplace is adequately lit where operations occur indoors or outdoors during hours of darkness.