Protecting Your Investment: Proper Storage and Handling of Spare Forklift Forks

In this article, you’ll learn:

• Why the proper storage of your fork arms and fork arm attachments is crucial to maintaining their quality and functionality
• Best practices for storing your fork arms and fork arm attachments when they’re not in use.
• How to safely handle and transport your fork arms and fork arm attachments.

Keeping spare forklift fork arms and fork arm attachments on the worksite is essential to ensuring your warehouse, construction site, or packaging facility stays flexible. With spare parts on hand, operators and technicians can make quick swaps for specialized attachments or take immediate action by replacing damaged sets, preventing costly downtime. However, because they often spend more time idle than in use, the handling and storage of these spare parts and attachments are frequently overlooked.

This oversight can become costly. After all, improper storage and handling can lead to dings, corrosion, premature wear and wear, and compromised structural integrity. A weakened fork is a major safety risk, as well as a liability. At ICHINEN USA, we take the safety of our customers and their worksites very seriously. That’s why we created this guide. It will outline the steps your team can take to secure, store, and handle spark fork arms and fork arm attachments to ensure compliance, operator safety, and maximum service life.

Why Proper Storage is Critical

Fork arms, like ICHINEN USA’s Standard and Premium forks, are engineered to sustain immense, dynamic forces. How you maintain them when they’re no longer attached to the truck directly impacts their service life and their safety rating. 

Safety and Regulatory Compliance

Every fork has a specific load rating determined by several factors: material, design, and dimensions. Any damage, be it a deep gouge, a small nick or a slight bend, compromises that original manufacturer rating. Federal regulations, set forth by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), mandate that damaged forks must be immediately taken out of service for repair or replacement.  Beyond structural damage, leaving loose forks unsecured in a walking path for example, is a serious tripping hazard that creates unnecessary liability. A dedicated storage system is the first step towards safer operation.

Preventing Wear and Tear

Fork arms may be expensive to replace, but corrosion and environmental exposure can drastically shorten their lifespan. Exposure to moisture, chemicals, or extreme shifts in temperature can accelerate corrosion, weakening the metal and hiding microscopic cracks. Another common, but incorrect practice, is to store the forks with their tips resting on the ground – this causes abrasion and creates unnecessary stress points at the tips and heels. Proper storage prevents these environmental and contact-related stresses.

Financial Protection

Ultimately, the goal of properly storing your fork arms and fork arm attachments is to protect your financial investment. Extending the lifespan of a set of high-quality forks, especially heavy-duty or specialized attachments, maximizes the return on your investment and can help reduce unpredictable replacement costs.

Fork Arm Storage Best Practices

Following these storage best practices should help ensure the longevity of your spare fork arms and fork arm attachments. 

1. Designated and Secured Location. Spare forks should never be left unsecured in high-traffic areas, through-ways, or against walls where they can slide or fall. Establish a clearly marked, restricted access storage area – a dedicated “fork bay.” This area should be located away from vehicle, product, and foot traffic to prevent accidents. 
2. Proper Racking. Fork arms should, ideally, be stored vertically in racks. These racks are designed to separate each arm, cradle the heel, and keep the weight balanced, eliminating the risk of your forks leaning, sliding, or getting damaged by coming into contact with one another.
3. Rust and Environmental Control. Whenever possible, store fork arms indoors in a dry, covered, and temperature-stable environment. Before placing your forks into long-term storage, follow these steps:
   - Clean off debris, dirt, and chemical residue.
   - Apply a light coat of protective oil or corrosion inhibitor to all friction points, the shank, and any unpainted surfaces, especially where the fork locks into the carriage.
   - Ensure the floor of the storage bay is clean and dry to prevent moisture from wicking up into the metal.

Safe Handling and Transportation

When fork arms are moved between the truck and the storage rack is when damage is most likely to occur. Taking some extra precautions while transporting your fork arms can help prevent unnecessary damage. With this in mind, always remember the following when transporting or moving your fork arms or attachments:

• Never Drag or Drop your fork arms. A common mistake is dragging a heavy fork across the floor to move it a short distance. Dragging causes abrasion to the bottom surface, which can create stress risers – tiny points of weakness where cracks are most likely to originate under load. Likewise, dropping or allowing forks to swing uncontrollably during installation or removal creates impact points that can cause immediate microfractures. Always move forks intentionally and smoothly.
• Forklift Assisted Transport. Fork arms are extremely heavy and awkward. A worker should never attempt to manually carry a full-sized fork arm. This creates a severe ergonomic and crushing risk. When moving spare fork arms, always use another forklift or dedicated transport cart designed for heavy components. The moving forklift should lift the spare arm, keep it low to the ground, and fully tilted back to secure it during transit.

Have your fork arms been dragged, dropped, or potentially exposed to mechanical damage? Check out our blog about properly inspecting your fork arms for damage. 

Your Partner in Securing your Investment

Properly storing your fork arms is a critical component of risk mitigation, asset protection, and workplace safety. By implementing a dedicated, clean, and secure storage system for your spark forks and attachments, you protect your operators from accidents and prolong the service life of one of your most crucial pieces of equipment.

Your lifting operation relies on quality and durability. When it comes time to replace your fork arms, choosing products built to meet the toughest standards ensures your long-term operational success and at ICHINEN USA, we’re ready to help. Contact us today to discuss your specific application and determine the right fork arms for your needs. Until then, stay safe and continue to protect your investment!