Regardless of whether you have worked with a forklift before or whether this is your very first time, this piece of equipment (whilst being extremely useful) can prove to be extremely dangerous. Even with the proper training, it is possible for many things to go wrong, resulting in serious injury and even death. When it comes to your next forklift hire, ensuring the health and safety of the people using the equipment and working around it should be a top priority.
The most common accidents associated with forklift hire can be found in the following list. By familiarizing yourself with the accidents that you could encounter, you can take steps to avoid them.
- Workers being hit by the forklift whilst it is in motion (this is more likely to happen whilst the equipment is in reverse);
- The equipment falling over because it is being used on unsafe floors and platforms;
- Workers being hit by items that fall off the forklift because they aren’t being carried stably; and
- The equipment overturning because it has been overloaded.
All of the above forklift hire accidents can be prevented, as long as the proper safety precautions in place and the operators of the equipment are operating with the utmost care and consideration.
When it comes to forklift hire, it is also believed that placing health and safety posters around the workplace can actually help to reduce the amount of accidents occurring. Some of the posters that are believed to have the biggest effect include:
- Pedestrians and Operators – this poster is bright and bold, ensuring that its message cannot be missed. It warns operators to be wary of those around them and other workers to be wary of moving equipment.
- Preoperational Checks – this poster outlines the importance of daily checks on the forklift to ensure that it is in a safe working condition. It also outlines the various checks that need to be made.
- Loading – this poster educates workers on the dangers of overloading the equipment. It tells operators to keep the loads as small as possible and to drive slowly to prevent injury.
Even if your workplace does not display the above posters, there are plenty of other ways that you can prevent accidents due to forklift hire. Whilst the best thing you can do is educate your operators and others within the workplace of the dangers associated with this equipment, it is also important that those who are not conducting themselves appropriately around forklifts are reprimanded accordingly.
