The Importance Of Forklift Certification In Pedestrian Safety
Forklift safety is an important part of general workplace safety, especially when you work in a factory or warehouse where they’re often used. Over time you’d assume that the number of incidents involving the machine would have reduced but instead they’ve remained stable, with roughly three people hospitalised every day internationally due to a forklift-related injury. A huge part of this isn’t the forklift drivers themselves getting injured but pedestrians working around the forklifts being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s estimated that a fifth of all forklift accidents are caused by a person being hit by a forklift and usually this means that they didn’t see the truck – or the driver didn’t see them. It’s this element that makes forklift certification essential in pedestrian safety.
- Skipping Steps
Forklift certification across the world emphasises the importance of examining a machine thoroughly before operating it so that there are no obvious problems with its warning devices, ability to brake and general controls. It’s a step that drivers follow when they first undergo training but one that often falls by the wayside when they’ve been driving a forklift for a long time. It’s also something that many stop implementing despite getting new forklifts or repairing existing ones. These can all impact how a machine operates and can easily lead to an injury occurring.
Often it only takes a minor issue with equipment to impact the stopping distance reaction time of a forklift. As a result, the machine can’t stop as quickly as it used to be able to and is unable to brake. This is what leads to a collision which causes injuries and fatalities. It’s also something that can happen when reversing the forklift, when the forklift is overloaded or when there is poor visibility due to a dirty windshield or other factors.
It's important for businesses to remember that the cost of a lack of training goes beyond just halted work and fines. Death and injury to any person (be they a worker or bystander) should be the first thing businesses are concerned about stopping. Thankfully with regularly held, affordable forklift certification courses from RT Equipment, this is easy to prevent.
