Accident Advisory against forklift-related accident
A forklift operator was killed on 26 June 2018 after getting his head caught between the forklift’s mast and the load the forklift was carrying. Working with equipment like forklifts, lorry crane, and gantry crane, etc can be dangerous for the users operating it, prevent this from happening in your workplace by following our tips below.
- Having the proper equipment for the task
Selecting the proper equipment for the tasks is very important. Whether you’re planning to use a forklift, a lorry crane or a gantry crane make sure that it’s the proper equipment required for the job. Do not use a forklift for a job that requires a lorry crane. Do consider the physical size, weight and whether there are any specific requirements for the load to be moved. Always remember to pick the correct equipment based on the load that you are moving! Never pick the wrong equipment as it may lead to deadly consequences.
- Train operators to have safe practices.
Ensure that operator’s operating these machines have safe practices so that the load that is being moved will be stable during the entire processing.
Try to always have an assistant or ground guide on duty when these kind of machine are under operation. As the operator view may be blocking it is necessary to have someone in their frontal view to guide them and assist them thru their path. Ensure that the ground guide is properly briefed and knows what to do and how they should be dressed.
Eg: The ground guide should be wearing the proper personal protective equipment and must know that a safe distance should be kept between the machine and everyone around it.
With a properly trained machine operator who practices safe practice and a fully trained ground guide working the ground with him, the chances of an accident are greatly reduced.
Safe forklift practices
– Rest the entire load on the forks before lifting/moving the load
– Spread the forks as wide as possible to improve the stability and minimise the risk of the forklift falling over
– Secure the load in place before moving them. This is especially important for loads that are tall, large, long or oddly shaped as the chances of them moving or dropping is higher.
- Worker Communication
It is important to provide proper communication between the operator and the ground guide, especially if the work environment is very noisy. An example would be providing walkie-talkies to both the operator and ground staff. With this, they are able to properly communicate any important matters without worrying about noise disruption
- Work Supervision
Remember to always deploy an on-site supervisor to monitor and supervise the entire operations of this machineary. The on-site supervisor must be responsible for the machine operator and ground guide safety. He must ensure that both of them are practicing safe operation and not doing anything that will be their or others safety at risk.
Remember to always practice safe practices so that everyone can remain safe during the operation of such a machine and another tragedy will not happen.
