National Forklift Safety Day Coming in June

With great anticipation, we’re counting down to National Forklift Safety Day, which is held on the second Tuesday in June each year. Forklift safety is an important topic. June is the month spent honoring safe forklift use. Both operators and pedestrians alike must make a year-round commitment to the practice of safe forklift usage.

The five most critical safety devices on any forklift are to ensure you check the brakes, seatbelts, lights, horns, and overhead guards.

Have a Strategy for Safety

Having a strategy for your facility’s operators to get continual training is another effective method to guarantee a secure working environment. Below are three techniques to ensure that forklifts are always used safely in your facility.

1. Training

Before being allowed to lawfully operate a forklift, operators are required by law to complete training: OSHA Regulation: 29CFR1910.178. Why is training crucial? Operator errors are at blame for 70% of all workplace mishaps, according to the National Safety Council. According to OSHA, adequate training could result in a 25–30% reduction in accident rates.

Even after receiving training and being prepared to work, the employer must reassess each forklift operator every three years to ensure their proficiency. Employers must also ensure that each operator is properly trained to operate every type of equipment they employ (for example, training to run a sit-down counterbalanced forklift does not imply training to operate an order picker).

2. Know your forklift and facility

Operators of forklifts should be familiar with every aspect of the forklifts they use. They must be aware of the forklift’s fault indicators and do daily pre-operation inspections. As part of their safety training, operators should become familiar with the facility they’re working in and be assessed in the real setting where they’ll be working on the forklift.

3. Maintain a safe working environment

Maintaining a safe environment is a shared obligation between pedestrians and forklift operators. Know where the designated stairways are. When necessary, put on safety goggles and/or closed-toe shoes. Pedestrians should be able to recognize when a forklift driver might be unable to see them. A safer operation can be achieved by establishing a culture of awareness and communication within your institution.

The Forklift Accessories website recently added two new products that we’re really proud of. These are high-demand items that all the shops want. They are handy forklift brackets.

Tri-Mount Forklift Bracket

The Tri-Mount Forklift Bracket for Toyota forklift overhead guards makes mounting lights and accessories easy.  Designed to fit on 1.5″ flat stock, 2″ flat stock, or 3/4″ bar stock used on Toyota forklift overhead guards.  This bracket makes mounting lights and accessories easy.

Forklift Bracket for Toyota 8 Series

This forklift bracket is designed to fit the molded corner posts on the overhead guard of a Toyota 8-Series forklift.

• Easy to install
• Makes mounting accessories like safety lights, Ram mounts, tablets, etc.
• 5 different mounting holes so you can mount more than one accessory
• Made in USA

Forklift Accessories Bahrns Equipment

Bahrns Equipment, the parent company of Forklift Accessories, has a long history covering more than 50 years in forklift sales, service, parts, forklift rental, material handling equipment, warehouse supplies, and shipping supplies. Get strobe lights and replacement bulbs for all your forklifts.

Customer satisfaction has always been a top goal for Bahrns. The organization has a reputation for quality, service, and honesty and is now a recognized leader in the numerous industries we work in. We appreciate our customers and the trust you place in us each day.

References:

NATIONAL FORKLIFT SAFETY DAY – June 13, 2023 – National Today