Accidents involving materials handling equipment (MHE) are largely avoidable, yet still far too widespread in supply chain operations. With reach trucks one of the most common types of lifting equipment in use, the RTITB have recently launched the RTITB Reach Truck Operator’s Safety Code to help in house operations and training providers provide clear guidance on how to operate safely.
Below are ten of the simplest ways to help improve safety for Reach Truck Operators, and those around them:
Never operate a truck you’re not qualified to – Operators should never be asked to operate a reach truck on which they have not been trained and authorised. This includes using a reach truck category that they are not specifically qualified for. Safe operation guidelines will vary for different types of reach trucks, so it cannot be assumed that competence on one type will ensure safety when using another.
Use the correct truck for the application – One reason that there are so many distinct types of material handling equipment available is that some machines are better suited to certain tasks than others. Employers and operators should ensure that where a reach truck is being used, that it is the correct type for the environment and situation where it is working.
Be ‘fit’ to operate the truck safely – It should be obvious that operators should never use a reach truck if they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. However, this also includes strong medicines that may cause drowsiness. Operators that are unwell or overtired should avoid operating this type of equipment to ensure safety.
Prioritise awareness – Awareness of the working environment is always the first line of defence against incidents. Operators should be trained to always pay close attention to what is going on around them. Phones or handheld devices should not be operated when an operator is in control of a reach truck. And operators that need to wear glasses should always remember to do so when operating the equipment.
Know the signs – Operations differ in terms of traffic flows so operators should not only be aware of the site-specific rules, but should also maintain an awareness of safety signs, traffic lights, signals, and speed limits. Where there are none, operators should make use of hand signals, safety lights, audible warning devices and verbal communication to make their intentions clear to those around them to support safety.
Remember – the forks are sacred! – The forks of a reach truck are only there to do the tasks they have been specifically designed for. It is extremely dangerous to let passengers ride on the reach truck or the forks. Operators should never lift anyone on the forks, on any attachment, or on the pallet, or allow anyone to mount these. Likewise, no-one should ever stand or walk under raised fork arms, even if the truck is unladen.
Be aware of pedestrians – Pedestrians are highly vulnerable in workplace transport operations and are too often involved in incidents involving materials handling equipment. So, if there may be pedestrians in the area, reach truck operators must always drive slowly, carefully, and responsibly, even if they cannot see other people in the vicinity. Operators should keep an eye out for pedestrians appearing from blind spots, such as doorways or parked vehicles, and be prepared to make an emergency stop if needed.
Be transparent about incidents – It is important for businesses to create a culture where incidents and near misses are reported openly. Even if no damage or injury resulted, it is vital to know about these events to take action to reduce future risk. If there is an incident, operators should be trained how to check that their truck is undamaged and functional before attempting to return to work, and to know what the procedure is should they identify and faults or damage.
Take a break! The supply chain is under huge pressure now, with many staff working long hours. However, sitting and operating a reach truck from the same position for extended periods can lead to musculoskeletal problems and injuries. Ensure that operators take regular breaks and are encouraged to stretch and move around wherever possible. Otherwise, eventually, musculoskeletal disorders can equate to many lost working days in the operation.
Make safety guidelines available – Good, professional practice is key to preventing incidents in the workplace, so it is helpful for operators to have easy access to clear safety guidance whenever they need it. The new RTITB Reach Truck Operator’s Safety Code is a convenient booklet and reference tool that enables reach truck operators to check in and refresh their skills and knowledge regularly and helps them make sound judgments in the common situations they encounter in the workplace.
Coming soon…. Three Time-saving Tips for Reach Truck Operator Training
We all know that safety guidelines are put in place for us all to adhere to, but putting this into practice can often feel like a chore in an already never-ending to do list. Incredibly, around 75% of critical incidents involve pedestrians who were completing tasks unrelated to the operation that was being carried out at the time of the incident. Adopting a culture of strict safety discipline in the warehouse could save more than just one life.
Many incidents involve pedestrians suffering crush injuries while trying to steady the load, or get involved in the loading or unloading of the forklift. These types of accidents and injuries are avoidable because the pedestrian should never need to be in the path of the forklift. There are many ways that this can be implemented in and around the warehouse:
Designation
With designated operation areas, walkways, and clear signage in the warehouse you can remove any doubt or uncertainty. Consistent, clear instructions and directions that leave no room for ambiguity are essential. Of course, there are some grey areas that can’t be easily segregated, but in these areas safe working boundaries need to be communicated and upheld at all times. Establish safe operating distances and provide staff with guidance around forklift operation, and the loading and unloading of materials.
Rotation
The most efficient warehouses make use of timetables to rotate staff to different locations, depending on the tasks they need to complete that day. This is to ensure pedestrian tasks aren’t being carried out alongside forklift tasks. Another useful addition to the warehouse is a traffic management system, such as one-way systems to reduce the risk of collisions.
Communication
Strong communication systems allow all members of staff to share the responsibility for keeping everybody safe. For example, co-workers need to be able to quickly and efficiently alert one another when an individual is in their workspace, or if somebody notices a truck losing its load during operation, or a driver leaving an unsafe distance between the truck and the pedestrian.
All of this and more is covered on our Forklift Training Course. Get in touch today to find out more.
It is reported that overall accident rates are lower in workplaces where the wider workforce participates in health and safety and employees feel they have a say. The awareness of the risks of slips and trips, for example, is supposedly greater (62%) where the workforce is consulted on health and safety issues, than when there is no involvement (28%).
What employers with workplace transport operations can take from this, is that to reduce risk of incidents, it’s important for lift truck operators to understand their role in health and safety and feel they can actively contribute. In research, 77% of the workforce felt encouraged to raise concerns in a good health and safety climate to 20% who felt encouraged to do so in a poor health and safety climate.
Forklifts are one of the most commonplace types of equipment in logistics and warehouse operations, yet they are also among the most dangerous – it is suggested that 8,000 workplace incidents involving lift trucks are reported annually. With this in mind, your forklift operators may be some of the best positioned employees to understand workplace risks related to material handling and to take an active role in contributing to health and safety improvements.
So, what can employers do to help engage lift truck operators in health and safety more and positively influence their behaviour?
Communicate the impact of incidents
Having a culture where incidents are never just an inevitable part of the job is key. Moreover, operators should have a clear awareness of the potential impacts of a lift truck incident occurring. At the most serious end of the spectrum, this can include life-changing and fatal injuries.
To tackle these subjects effectively, two-way communication is needed between trainers, health and safety managers and compliance managers, and their lift truck operators. What this looks like will be different depending on your organisation’s size and culture. However, a lift truck operator training environment is one good place to have these conversations, especially as regular training of operators is required for compliance.
For novice operators, the eTruck UK forklift and reach truck theory eLearning solution from RTITB helps support this, and encourage behaviour change around risk. Rather than a traditional presentation-led style of training, eTruck tells the story of a lift truck accident and the chain of events leading up to it. Operators must engage with the story to understand and anticipate when, why and where the accident will occur. This gives a greater understanding of safe operating practices and the impact of an incident on the wider operation.
Educate on the role of Managers and Supervisors
It would be easy for operators to feel that should any incident occur, that it’s not entirely their fault, and it is true that their Managers and Supervisors have a significant role to play. Incidents often occur as a result of poor or non-existent supervision, so to reduce risks and comply with the law, those in these senior roles must be correctly trained, just as operators must be correctly trained.
However, operators must be made aware that they do have a level of accountability and therefore must always operate to the safety standards delivered via their lift truck operator training and follow the organisation’s rules and processes around health and safety.
It all starts with training
Employers must remember that for compliance and safety, lift truck training should always be the first step. It is vital for not only educating operators on how to use and work around lift trucks, but also how to reduce risks to themselves and others.
There is a mandatory level of lift truck operator training required for compliance, and it is crucial to keep this up to date with refresher training or conversion training (if required). This is an essential for employed staff, as well as temporary and contract workers. For safety, only correctly trained staff should be given an Authorisation to Operate equipment.
However, businesses should always continue to undertake regular risk assessments and assessments of operators to ensure optimum safety practices and deliver remedial or additional training as and where needed.
RTITB Accreditation could support safety in your operation.
In fact, the vast majority of your time spent in a training session will be in reverse. Learning how to safely manoeuvre a forklift truck to back round corners, or to reverse into tight spaces is an underestimated skill. You will also learn how to move round the warehouse safely in every direction, while carrying a variety of different loads.
Previous Driving Experience Is Not Essential
Don’t be put off if you don’t have forklift experience already. The truth is that you don’t even need to hold a car driving licence to be able to train to drive a forklift truck. You will learn everything you need to know about how to safely drive a forklift on one of our courses, no matter your experience level. All you need to do is show up and come with a positive, can-do attitude.
Forklift Driving Is Different To Any Other Driving
Forklift trucks use their rear wheels to steer, and they have a 3 point suspension system. Simply put, this means that they are very different to handle than any other vehicle. For this reason, you will spend a good amount of time learning the theory and safety components of driving a forklift truck, as well as practical hands on sessions.
For more advice about Key Performance Training’s forklift driving courses call us on 01793 975353.
A yacht manufacturer has been sentenced after an employee was injured when his forklift overturned.
Back in August 2018, an employee was injured whilst helping to unload a delivery at the company’s site. The Counterbalance (Forklift) operator was operating a forklift truck in tandem with another driver to lift a large load from a flatbed lorry. Part of the load was lifted to allow the LGV/HGV to move forward however this caused another part of the loads to become unstable and fall against the mast of his lift truck causing it to overturn. He sustained both ligament and muscle damage to his ankle and was unable to return to work for five months as a result.
Having conducted an investigation, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the lifting work had not been planned safely or risk assessed. The employees were not aware of relevant procedures and there were safer alternate methods available which had not even been considered.
The company was fined £200,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,138.20 after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
HSE Inspector Hatti Shipp said: “The risks associated with unloading vehicles should be recognised and controlled. Complex lifts including handling heavy or unusual loads require careful planning and additional considerations. This incident could have been avoided if safeguards had been put in place. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
The importance of forklift trucks in the workplace is sometimes overlooked or taken for granted. At first glance, the role of the forklift in the warehouse is to transport loads from one place to another, but in reality; the forklift is the warehouse’s secret weapon. The forklift is the life-blood of the warehouse, and is integral to boosting productivity in terms of both speed and capacity.
Forklift trucks increase overall efficiency and storage capacity simultaneously. When you consider that walking speed is around 3 miles per hour, and a forklift can travel at around 6 miles an hour, you can begin to put into perspective just how efficient forklifts are. At double walking speed, the forklift can get more done in less time, even while carrying heavy and bulky loads.
With this in mind, it’s no surprise that having forklifts on site helps to get more done in less time. Workforces who use forklifts become naturally more productive, and in some ways less at risk of injury. Most forklifts can carry thousands of pounds in weight, saving employees from attempting to carry heavier loads than they are able to.
With knowledgeable operators behind the wheel, the products being transported by forklift are also much less likely to get damaged. Manual handling leaves a higher margin for error, but as long as forklift is used correctly; that margin is decreased significantly.
However, the speed, manoeuvrability and capacity of a forklift can quickly become a hazard if the driver is not operating the machine correctly. Up to date forklift training is paramount. Here at Key Performance Training we offer a wide range of forklift training courses, and refresher courses. To ensure that your employees are able to utilise the forklifts in your warehouse as safely and efficiently as possible, give us a call today.
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