Operating powered industrial trucks, commonly known as forklifts, involves inherent risks due to their size, weight, and operational dynamics. These machines are designed to move heavy loads in confined spaces, presenting significant hazards if not handled with precision and care. Understanding the mechanical principles and procedural requirements is necessary before attempting to operate this heavy equipment. This guide provides an overview of the steps involved in safe forklift operation but must be supplemented by formal, practical instruction and certification.
Mandatory Safety Training and Certification
The operation of a forklift is strictly governed by federal and local regulations that mandate comprehensive training before an individual can take control. These rules recognize the potential for severe workplace accidents and require employers to ensure all operators are properly qualified. Qualification involves a combination of formal instruction and a practical evaluation demonstrating proficiency under supervision.
Operators are typically required to undergo refresher training and re-evaluation every three years to maintain their certification status. This recertification process ensures that operators remain familiar with safe operating practices and any changes to workplace conditions or equipment specifications. Attempting to operate a forklift without the required certification is a direct violation of regulatory standards and significantly elevates the risk of injury or fatality.
Pre-Operation Safety Inspection
Before the ignition is turned on, the operator must conduct a thorough physical inspection, often called a pre-shift or daily check. This inspection confirms the machine is mechanically sound and ready for safe operation. The pre-operation inspection must cover the following components:
- Fluid levels, including engine oil, hydraulic fluid, and brake fluid, checking for visible leaks.
- Tires and wheels, ensuring they are free from cuts or excessive wear, and confirming proper inflation pressure.
- The load-handling apparatus, including the mast, carriage, and forks, checking for straightness and cracks.
- The overhead guard, ensuring it is free from damage or deformation.
- The horn, lights, and all warning devices to confirm they are in working order.
Understanding the Controls and Instruments
Familiarization with the operator compartment involves understanding the function of each control. Directional controls typically include a lever or pedal that selects forward or reverse movement, engaging the transmission. Many forklifts use an inching pedal, which acts as a clutch to momentarily disengage the transmission for precise, low-speed maneuvering while maintaining engine speed for hydraulic power.
The hydraulic controls consist of levers that manage the mast functions, controlling vertical lift and forward or backward tilt. The lift control raises and lowers the load carriage, while the tilt control adjusts the angle of the forks to stabilize a load or level them for insertion. A side-shift control, if equipped, moves the carriage laterally for fine positioning.
Steering systems on most forklifts utilize the rear wheels for direction, resulting in a tighter turning radius but requiring a different driving approach than front-wheel-steered vehicles. The brake system operates similarly to a car, but its performance is heavily influenced by the weight distribution of the load. The instrument panel provides feedback through gauges and warning lights, displaying information like fuel level, battery charge, engine temperature, and oil pressure.
Startup and Basic Unloaded Movement
Once pre-operation checks are complete, the startup sequence begins by inserting the seatbelt and adjusting the mirrors. The operator must be securely restrained, as the seatbelt is a passive restraint designed to keep the operator within the protective frame in the event of a tip-over. With the parking brake engaged and the transmission in neutral, the engine or power source can be activated.
Before moving, the operator should check the immediate area to ensure a clear path of travel and confirm no personnel are near the machine’s path or swing radius. When maneuvering an unloaded forklift, the operator must remember the machine steers from the rear, causing the rear end to swing wide in the opposite direction of the turn. This characteristic requires maintaining a significant clearance from walls, racks, and other obstacles.
The forks should be positioned approximately four to six inches above the floor level while traveling to clear minor obstacles. Maintaining a slow, controlled speed is necessary, especially when turning corners, to prevent instability. Acceleration and braking should be gradual and smooth to avoid abrupt shifts in momentum due to the machine’s solid suspension. Safe operation requires constant awareness of the environment and anticipating changes in traffic patterns.
Operating Procedures When Handling a Load
Handling material begins with assessing the load’s characteristics against the forklift’s rated capacity, which is displayed on the data plate. This plate specifies the maximum weight that can be safely lifted at a designated load center. The load center is the horizontal distance from the vertical face of the fork shanks to the load’s center of gravity, and understanding it directly impacts the machine’s stability.
The operational stability of a forklift is conceptualized by the stability triangle, an area on the ground defined by the front axle’s two pivot points and the center of the rear axle. As the load center moves outward or the load weight increases, the machine’s combined center of gravity shifts closer to the stability triangle’s boundary. Exceeding the rated capacity or extending the load center too far can move the center of gravity outside this area, resulting in a tip-over.
To pick up a load, the operator approaches it slowly and squarely, ensuring the mast is vertical or slightly tilted forward for level insertion. The forks are inserted completely beneath the load, extending past the far side, to ensure the load is fully supported and resting against the carriage backrest. Once the forks are fully inserted, the load is lifted just high enough to clear the surface it was resting on, and the mast is immediately tilted fully back toward the operator.
Traveling with a load requires maintaining the forks in the lowest possible position, typically two to four inches above the ground, to enhance longitudinal stability. This low carriage position keeps the combined center of gravity close to the ground, reducing the risk of tip-over when stopping or turning. Operators must always travel in reverse if the load obstructs the forward view.
When stacking a load, the operator drives to the rack or stack and slowly raises the load to the required height. Precise positioning is achieved using small movements of the directional and hydraulic controls. Once the load is directly over its final resting spot, the mast is brought to a vertical position, and the load is slowly lowered until it is resting on the stack or rack beams.
For de-stacking, the procedure is reversed; the operator ensures the forks are level and fully inserts them beneath the load before lifting it clear. The load is immediately tilted back to secure it against the carriage before the operator begins to reverse slowly, checking all clearances. Maneuvering loads on an incline requires traveling with the load pointed uphill, regardless of the direction of travel, to mitigate the risk of the load sliding off the forks or becoming unstable.
Shutting Down and Securing the Forklift
At the conclusion of a shift or when the forklift is left unattended, proper shutdown procedures must be followed to secure the machine and prevent unauthorized use. The operator must first drive the forklift to an authorized parking area, ensuring it is not blocking emergency exits, traffic lanes, or firefighting equipment. The most necessary step in securing the machine is fully lowering the forks until their tips are resting flat on the ground.
Once the forks are down, all hydraulic controls should be returned to their neutral position, and the directional control lever should be placed in neutral. The parking brake must then be engaged to prevent unintended movement. Finally, the engine is shut off, and the ignition key is removed and stored in a secure location, rendering the forklift inoperable.