Common Forklift Safety Violations and How to Avoid Them

Whether your operation is in agriculture, construction, or manufacturing, forklifts are likely a crucial part of your daily business. Even the entertainment and live music industries rely on these versatile machines to lift, transport, and arrange the necessary elements for them to put on performances and hold festivals. Forklifts are versatile machines that enhance productivity on the worksite by being highly adaptable to changing operational demands. It could be argued that many of the world’s industries would not be able to run as smoothly if it were not for forklifts. Yet, despite how necessary they are, forklifts can be dangerous when not operated safely.

That is where the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) comes in. OSHA regulates and enforces workplace safety standards to protect workers from disability or fatal injury. Additionally, OSHA provides recurring training and certification for businesses and their employees to educate them on the necessary safety precautions related to their occupation.

OSHA's guidelines on safely operating forklifts, also called powered industrial trucks, are comprehensive. While some specifics might depend on your industry, OSHA provides universal recommendations for safely operating a forklift. Their Safe Forklift Operation Quickcard explains many ways an operator can ensure they are safely using their forklift, but what happens when those regulations are not followed?

Since the consequences of improper forklift operation can be severe, OSHA can issue a citation for a violation to the employer or the operator found breaking an OSHA regulation. These citations can lead to hefty fines and, in many cases, cessation of existing forklift operator certifications. If an employer discovers an employee has violated a regulation, they may choose to terminate their employment.

Common Forklift Operation Violations

Receiving forklift violation citations can cause a financial burden, but they can also harm the company’s property or employees. While there are numerous ways in which an operator can be found in violation of an OSHA regulation, we narrowed it down to the five most common types of citations. At ICHINEN USA, we recommend using high-quality fork arms and the correct fork arm attachments to make your forklift safer. Still, proper operation is also necessary to ensure your site is violation-free.

Improper Certifications

OSHA provides training for forklift operators, but they are not the only ones. Many industries have built their own training programs, and they all have one thing in common: they must be renewed. And with ever-changing technology and regulations, keeping up to date is essential. One of the most common citations OSHA delivers is related to expired or inadequate certifications for the type of forklift they operate. Always renew your forklift certifications and only operate the forklifts for which you have received training.

Unsafe Operation

It’s easy to get lost on a busy work site. There are other workers, dynamic environments that are constantly changing, and many workplace distractions. Anyone who has worked on a construction site or helped put together a massive live music event in a sporting arena knows how quickly it can become challenging to know left from right when the work gets going. Humans are not perfect, so most of OSHA’s violation citations are related to unsafe operations.
An unsafe operation can look like the following:

• Out-of-Balance Loading – Lifting too much or too high can cause the forklift to tip
  or drop a load, causing injury or damage.
• Speeding – Operators driving too fast from one location to another is a common
  cause of workplace injury.
• Driving too Close to the Edge – Work sites are known to have loading bays and
  other dynamic terrain that can make it easy to drive too far.
• Improper Turning – Forklifts are very heavy machines that do not have very
  forgiving turn radius. Always remember: reduce speed, anticipate the rear swing,
  and do not turn on a grade.

Skipping Pre-Operation Inspections or Maintenance

Forklifts are amazing machines. They are agile, maneuverable, and capable of lifting immense amounts. No matter your industry, a forklift is necessary to move materials, manage large amounts of inventory, or transport heavy loads. However, they are still machines that require maintenance to stay safely in operation. Before operating a forklift, it is standard to conduct a 360-degree inspection to determine if there have been any changes to the machine’s condition since it was last operated. This inspection must be performed before each operation. More often than not, issues due to lack of proper maintenance or damage that will cause unsafe conditions can be easily spotted. It may take an extra five minutes, but operators should thoroughly inspect their forklift before operating it.

Creating a Culture of Safety

Ensuring that your lifting operations are safe is everyone involved's responsibility. However, building a culture of safety that starts at the top will make certain that forklift violations will be a thing of the past. To do this, start by defining clear safety policies that are easily accessible to your employees and always make sure that all forklift operators are properly trained and up-to-date on their certifications. To avoid unsafe operation violations, increase risk awareness by performing daily safety and hazard analyses. Inform your team of any changes to the work site that they must be aware of to make informed decisions while operating forklifts. Finally, always stay on top of machine maintenance and perform all necessary pre-operation safety inspections.

At ICHINEN USA, we understand how important safety is to your bottom line. Our 100% heat-treated fork arms and high-quality forklift attachments are designed with safe forklift operation at the top of mind. If you’d like to learn more about how our forklift arms and accessories can support a safer worksite, contact us today!