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Forklift safety is a top consideration across industries, but when it comes to supporting lift truck operating best practices, there’s no single silver bullet. Forklift safety requires a multi-faceted approach, including training, real-time support and monitoring, and retroactive evaluation. Managers should consider a layered approach that starts with training, incorporates various forms of support for their team, and leverages tracking solutions to inform ongoing coaching.
Layer 1: The operator
Operator training is foundational to forklift safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires lift truck operators to receive formal instruction, hands-on training, and evaluation before the use of equipment at their job site. A training format in which the trainer utilizes packaged digital material can offer consistent instruction and engage trainees with contemporary adult learning methodologies. Tech-enabled solutions can be especially valuable for facilities that frequently onboard new operators, and automation can also be helpful for operations that are limited by a short supply of labor. Automated lift trucks, for example, are set up to adhere to certain safety standards and site-specific protocols. They perform consistently in repetitive applications that are prone to high employee turnover, helping provide relief from the constant cycle of hiring and training. It’s not about replacing what employees do, it’s about amplifying what they can safely get done by making their work easier and the operation more efficient.
Layer 2: The truck
From ergonomic features that help limit risk of repetitive stress injuries, to a broad category known as operator assist solutions (OAS), there are many ways equipment can help support operators in their unique applications. For example, alarms and pedestrian awareness lighting like strobe or curtain lights present reminders for those walking or working in proximity to trucks in operation, and integrated stability control systems can offer a proactive approach to help minimize risks and reinforce safe operating practices. Another OAS, a new addition to the Hyster Reaction™ lineup, is the pedestrian awareness camera. This camera system can accurately identify pedestrians at ranges up to 16 feet through a 110-degree field of view. When a pedestrian is detected, a voiceover communicates their proximity, and a light indicates which zone the pedestrian is in. Optional traction alerts can go a step further by automatically and gradually slowing down the lift truck. While the operator remains in ultimate control of the equipment, this deceleration effect is intended to get their attention and encourage them to avoid the detected pedestrian by applying the brakes, steering away, or both.
Layer 3: Tracking and continuous support
Telemetry systems like Hyster Tracker™ monitor several aspects of a fleet, from equipment use and diagnostics to individual operator performance, to help operations make informed decisions and manage operator behavior. Telemetry can be tailored to operator development by:
- Restricting equipment so that only operators with proper truck certification have access
- Controlling who can start equipment through individual access cards
- Providing automatic notifications when operator certifications are close to expiring
Some systems even have functionality to provide managers with information when impacts occur, including the option to view video footage of impacts. The base level of the Hyster Tracker telemetry solution, known as wireless monitoring, is now included as a standard feature on a broad selection of lift trucks, with the goal of equipping even more operations with insights that can help them improve site safety and reduce avoidable damage.
Contributed by Hyster
