Power source hazards

Forklift power sources can pose a hazard to employees. The most common power sources, battery and LPG/propane are regulated by OSHA standards, for example, “Precautions shall be taken to prevent open flames, sparks or electric arcs in battery charging areas (1910.178)

The following procedures should be followed by employees to safeguard themselves from power source accidents:

* Eye or face protection must be worn when connecting a charger to a battery.
* Chargers must be turned off when leads are being connected or disconnected.
* All leads and cables must be checked and in good condition.
* When charging and moving batteries, vent caps must be kept firmly in place to avoid electrolyte splashing.
* If charging is to be conducted on a battery in a mobile piece of equipment, the battery compartment cover must be left open to dissipate heat and explosive gases.
* Any additional safety requirements specified by the manufacturer of the battery or charging system must be followed.
* There must be adequate ventilation to keep explosive atmospheres less than 20% of the Lower Explosive Limit in the charging area.
* Facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body must be provided at or near the charging area.
* Smoking and other ignition sources must be prohibited in the charging area. “No smoking” signs must be posted.

Parking safety

A forklift operator who was pinned against a dumpster after the forklift slipped into drive during a dump operation suffered a severe injury, which could have been prevented if he had set the parking brake before he dismounted the lift.

Every time forklift operators leave a forklift unattended, they must secure it:

* Park in an approved location
* Set the brakes
* Lower the forks to the floor
* Neutralize the controls
* Turn off the motor switch
* Disconnect the batter or go through the propane shut down procedure
* Always park on a level surface
* Don’t block emergency exits or equipment
* Park away from other hazards

Trailers and rail cars

On September 9, 2004, a truck driver was standing on the bed of his tractor-trailer rig watching a forklift move a milling machine onto his vehicle. As the forklift moved forward, the milling machine tipped over and crushed the driver.

Loading or unloading trailers or rail cars can be hazardous for forklift or trailer operators. Before forklift operators enter trailer or rail cars:

* If the trailer is connected to the tractor, set brakes on the tractor and chock wheels on both trailer and tractor
* If the trailer is not connected to a tractor, support it with jack stands
* Use a dock lock to hold the trailer to the dock
* Check to see that the floor is strong enough to hold the combined weight of you, the forklift and the load
* Make sure you have enough overhead clearance, including the additional height of the bridge plate
* Use safety sidebars on flat-bed trailers as guides to keep your forklift from going over the side

Material handling hazards

Employees who were struck and crushed by a stack of crates that toppled over during a forklift operation were involved in a material handling accident that could have been avoided.

David Hoover, president of Forklift Training Systems, says material handling hazards should be corrected before forklift training starts and the training should reinforce the changes.

The following material handling hazards endanger forklift operators and should be corrected:

* Poor floor or lot conditions
* Loads beyond the rated capacity of the forklift
* Missing or non-functioning safety devices, such as horns, seatbelts, alarms and strobes
* Poorly stacked or stored loads and structurally damaged storage racks
* Damaged or broken pallets
* Lack of proper pre-shift checks and preventative maintenance
* Lack of enforcement of any type of safety issues

Lifting personnel

Forklifts were never intended by manufacturers as a means of lifting personnel to perform job tasks at heights, but they are often used to get to light fixtures, top storage racks and other items too high to reach from the floor.
Regulatory groups and manufacturers have developed a safe method for lifting personnel with forklifts (OSHA 1926.602). Forklifts may be used to lift personnel only if the following guidelines are followed:

• A work platform equipped with standard guardrails or equivalent means, and firmly secured to the lifting carriage or forks, must be used.
• The hydraulic system must be so designed that the lift mechanism will not drop faster than 135 feet per minute in the event of a failure in any part of the system.
• An operator must attend the lift equipment while workers are on the platform.
• The operator must be in the normal operating position while raising or lowering the platform.
• The vehicle must not travel from point to point with the work platform elevated at a height greater than 4 feet while workers are on the platform. When necessary, at heights greater than 4 feet, inching is permitted provided it is done at a very slow speed.
• The area between workers on the platform and the mast must be guarded to prevent contact with chains or other shear points.

Accident statistics

OSHA estimates there are about 85 forklift fatalities per year, 34,900 serious injuries and 61,800 non-serious injuries. According to the Industrial Truck Association, there are about 855,900 forklifts in the U.S., so over 11 percent will be involved in some type of accident each year (assuming only one accident per forklift).

The ITA also reports that the useful life of a lift truck is eight years, which means that about 90 percent of all forklifts will be involved in some type of accident during their useful life.

The main cause of forklift fatalities is tipovers (42 percent). The other causes are crushed between vehicle and a surface (25 percent), crushed between two vehicles (11 percent), struck or run over by a forklift (10 percent), struck by falling material (8 percent) and fall from platform on the forks (4 percent).

Fatalities occur most likely in manufacturing facilities (42 percent), followed by construction (23.8 percent), wholesale trades (12.5 percent), transportation (11 percent), retail trade (9 percent) and mining (1.2 percent).

Studies show that most accidents could have been prevented by better training and training can also reduce the severity of an accident.

Refresher training and re-evaluation

Refresher training, including an evaluation of the effectiveness of that training, shall be conducted to ensure that the operator has the knowledge and skills needed to operate the powered industrial truck safely.

Refresher training is required by OSHA when:

* The operator has been observed operating a forklift in an unsafe manner.
* The operator has been involved in an accident or near-miss incident.
* The operator has received an evaluation that reveals that the operator is not operating the forklift safely.
* The operator is assigned to drive a different type of powered industrial truck.
* A condition in the workplace changes in a way that could affect safe operation of the forklift.
Once operators has been trained and evaluated, they must be re-evaluated at least once every three years according to OSHA standard 1910.178. Although the standard allows this time period without re-evaluation, prudent employers will choose to conduct a re-evaluation and refresher training annually.

Avoiding tipovers

In a recent 14 year period, 1,021 workers died from forklift injuries, 22 percent due to tipovers.

One of the best ways to prevent tipovers is to know the forklift’s load capacity. When operators stay within the load-carrying limits issued by the manufacturer, they avoid tipovers. WorkSafe magazine says the risk of tipovers can also be reduced by:

* Tilting the mast forward only when picking up or dropping off a load.
* Tilting the load back and raising the forks only as high as you need to clear the ground surface while driving.
* Carrying loads forward up inclines and backward down inclines.
* Avoiding excessive speed and using caution when turning and braking.
* Checking for alternative routes for long or wide loads.
* Never turning on inclined surfaces such as ramps.
* Driving in reverse if the load obstructs the view.
* Being aware of the mast’s clearance when driving under pipes, through doorways or in areas with other overhead obstructions.

Lighting problems

Barrett Miller of the American Society of Safety Engineers notes that 25 percent of forklifts accidents aren’t caused by drivers, but by controllable environmental factors, including lighting.

An accident that occurred in a dark warehouse where light readings measured 5 candlepower was “far under the acceptable level for general operations,” Miller says.

Dark environments are especially harmful to drivers over 40, whose vision deteriorates. “The effect on the worker is predictable,” Miller says. “As we lose our ability to discriminate objects in dim settings, we become more sensitive to glare. A forklift driver may have too little depth perception in a dark warehouse. He may not see a fellow employee in time to respond.
“OSHA established a minimum standard for lighting in areas where forklifts operate,” he says. “If the light level in an area is below 2 lumens per square foot, the truck must use auxiliary lights. The light in a warehouse measuring 2 candlepower is seriously substandard. All safety codes recommend a minimum light level of 20 footcandles in warehouses. This level of illumination should be adequate for older workers.”