Stand-Up Forklift Safety In Your Indiana Operation

Featured Forklift Operator Safety

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The benefits of a stand-up forklift -- like a narrow aisle forklift or reach truck -- is that it’s designed so that the operator can get off and on frequently and have better sight lines. With a stand-up truck, you can mitigate fatigue by eliminating the need to constantly stand from a sitting position or crane your neck looking while driving.  This makes stand-up forklifts a safer alternative if your Indiana warehouse has tight corners and narrow aisles. 

However, there are a few things to understand about stand-up forklift safety.  Stand-up forklifts can present safety hazards due to their frequent use in smaller spaces. Sudden stops, under-ride hazards, and an unfamiliar driving style can all pose potential problems within your worksite. Luckily, according to OSHA, 70% of forklift accidents can be avoided with proper training and safety procedures.

Proper Training Ensures Standing Forklift Safety

Just by looking at a stand-up forklift, you can tell that it operates in a different manner than a sit-down lift. Driving a stand-up forklift can seem unnatural since it lacks foot pedals or a seat. To operate one successfully, your operators will have to learn new ways to steer, brake, and load or unload your cargo.

Before you have an inexperienced operator get into the operator compartment of a stand-up forklift, make sure that they have the proper training and understand stand-up forklift safety protocols.  A stand-up forklift shouldn’t be something they learn while on-the-job, as there’s a much greater risk that they might injure themselves, co-workers, or cause damage to the workplace. 

Forklift training will specifically help your operators learn to:

  • Understand the unique controls when operating a stand-up lift.
  • Familiarize themselves with the hidden hazards when backing up.
  • The proper way to position the forks so that the truck doesn’t become unstable and cause injury.
  • Safely load, lift, and offload cargo.

Beware the Under-ride Hazard

A large safety issue that is associated with standing forklifts is the under-ride hazard. Under-ride usually occurs when a standing forklift backs up in tight quarters. What happens is that a horizontal rack beam, jutting out pallet, or similar obstruction can enter the back of the compartment and crush the operator.  With a stand-up forklift, under-ride can be a greater risk than tipping over. 

OSHA has reported many injuries and even deaths caused by an under-ride hazard and suggests safety measures to prevent under-ride accidents such as:

  • Equip your forklift with a rear guard or corner posts.
  • Install a barrier in your Indiana warehouse, so that the bottom of the forklift will strike the curb instead of sliding under the rack.
  • Ensure that your operators are re-trained if the warehouse goes through any layout modifications. 

Tynan Provide Standing Forklift Safety Training Specifically For Your Indiana Warehouse

At Tynan, we believe that your operators should be comfortable with your equipment and your warehouse, which is why we come to you for your training needs. Contact us at (317) 597-4003, and learn more about how we can make your operators more confident and your Indiana warehouse safer. 

  

It's important to train your employees on stand-up forklift safety.

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