Forklift Safety Equipment That Can Save Lives

Forklifts rarely get “tricked out” the way some people do to their cars and trucks. But there are forklift safety accessories you can add to your lift truck or other materials handling equipment that can make your vehicles safer and more efficient.

Most forklifts already come with some safety features, such as seat belts, backup alarms, and even warning lights. But adding post-market safety accessories to your current forklift can improve workplace safety and reduce the risk of injury or even death for operators and pedestrians.

Overhead Protection

When a lot of forklifts are delivered from the factory, they often don’t have any type of overhead protection. Some may have bars or a frame above the driver’s seat. But in many instances, that’s all there is separating the driver from any falling objects from above.

Forklift overhead guards are post-market accessories that snap onto a forklift’s existing forklift cabin frame to provide a protective barrier between operators and falling objects. Think of it as a hard hat for your forklift!

A less durable overhead accessory is a rain guard. These are frequently made from thin plastic or polyurethane material to provide a waterproof barrier between the cabin and the elements, providing comfort and security for the operator driving the vehicle in rainy, cold, or even snowy weather.

Light It Up

Generally, the more aware people are of the presence of your forklift, the more likely they are to get out of the way. If your forklift doesn’t already come with warning lights, backup alarms, or other accessories that announce its presence well ahead of its entering an area, these can be added later.

New types of warning lights are continually being introduced into the forklift market, including those that use lasers, spinning lights, and LED projections to let pedestrians know that a forklift is coming.

Spotlights are another add-on that can save lives and improve safety by illuminating the path of an oncoming forklift.

Show Some Backbone

For operators of standup forklifts, one of the biggest dangers accidentally backing up into a racking system or post that they didn’t see. The Backbone is a safety accessory that fits onto the overhead guard and truck frame of a standup lift truck to provide a protective barrier, absorbing the impact of a collision so that it doesn’t injure the operator.

Adding forklift accessories that improve safety protects people, property, and your business.