Safety Alert 6 way to prevent a forklift accidents

Power industrial vehicles can lead to serious workplace accidents that can result in equipment and property damage, serious injury or even death. In the 10 years spanning 2003 to 2012, 50 workers have died falling from injuries involving forklifts (Safe Work Australia). While forklifts serve a great purpose of easily moving materials and equipment throughout a facility, they pose a wide variety of hazards including falling loads, pedestrian accidents, driving off of loading docks, falls between docks and unsecured trailers, struck-by incidents and falls from an elevation. It’s important to ensure that each forklift operator has been trained and is considered competent. Pedestrian workers present in areas with forklift traffic should also be familiar with working safety around these vehicles.

Do you have similar safety risks in your workplace?

  • Does your business utilize forklifts to move materials?
  • Have your forklift operators received formal training?
  • Are daily inspections performed on your forklifts?

How to prevent forklift accidents in the workplace

  1. Have all forklift operators completed a formal forklift training that includes both classroom instruction and a road-test.
  2. Ensure that operators are familiar with all site specific hazards.
  3. Ensure that pedestrians are familiar with working safely around forklifts.
  4. Complete regular inspections of forklift trucks.
  5. Determine the course of action when a forklift is found to be in need of repair.
  6. Correct unsafe driving that is observed. Retrain employees as necessary.

Tool Box Talk Share this information (Informative)

Issues raised / Action Required / Responsible / Due date / Completed
Conduct forklift training for all operators including classroom training and a road test.
Establish an inspection checklist & process.
Train pedestrians in safe work procedures near forklifts.
Determine if there is a need for forklift/pedestrian aisles.
Add mirrors to cover blind-spots as needed.
Establish a loading dock policy that will eliminate the potential for forklifts driving off of the dock/trailer.
Ensure that employees know how to report a forklift accident/near miss.
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Any other safety items raised?
Name / Signature / Date
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