Information about Using Forklift Accessories Safely

“Where can I find information about using forklift accessories safely?” It’s a good question. The short answer is, “Online,” but it’s a little harder to find the best information about how to use specific forklift attachments and accessories safely.

Noticing a lack of information about using forklift accessories safely, we decided to publish a series of blogs here on the Forklift Accessories blog. Some of our most popular forklift safety blogs include:

• Fall Protection: Safety Harness and Lanyard
• Forklift Attachment Safety FAQs
• How to Deal with Blind Spots
• The Dangers of Low Tire Pressure
• OSHA Forklift Attachments Regulations

In addition, we’re in the process of writing a series of articles about some of the bigger issues of general forklift safety. Look for announcements in coming weeks.

One issue we’re most concerned about is forklift stability when using forklift attachments. We’ve gathered a lot of information from the OSHA website, particularly their Powered Industrial Trucks (forklifts) eTool pages. From information gathered there and elsewhere, we wrote Forklift Stability Basics, which is a condensed version of what you’ll find on the OSHA site plus a few insights of our own.

We’ve also been publishing forklift safety articles on our Reconditioned Forklifts blog. A good place to start there is with our Where to Find Forklift Training Resources guide. Another blog you’ll be interested in is Determining Your Forklift Carrying Capacity, which gives a simple equation you can use to determine how heavy a load you can carry when using a forklift attachment that centers your load beyond the forklift tines. It should be noted, though, that OSHA requires manufacturer approval or an engineer’s report before using attachments that affect forklift stability.

Wire lift truck for teaching about forklift stability

The ultimate guides to using forklift accessories safely are forklift training materials authorized by OSHA. We offer several of them on Forklift Accessories. The best training materials are those that are interactive, so we offer a range of products that includes written materials, DVDs and even training tools such as a magnetic stability training model and a clever wire lift truck you can use to demonstrate the center of gravity of a forklift and what happens when you “tip the scales” when improperly carrying a load.

On a more high-tech note, TACTUS Technologies has created the world’s first 3-D forklift simulator. Similar to a flight simulator, their 3-D-Forklift includes a steering wheel and pedals. The student sits in front of a big screen TV and drives their virtual forklift through typical working environments or for an extra cost, the company can customize the working environment to precisely duplicate the actual environment the student will be operating the forklift in.

Of course, a forklift simulator is an expensive way to teach forklift safety and is probably best suited for a large warehouse or factory where dozens of forklift operators can benefit from it. For the rest of us, the forklift training materials we offer combined with supervised training and ongoing performance reviews and refresher training should be enough to insure your forklift operators are always using forklift accessories safely.