BUSINESS FORKLIFT TRUCK SAFETY
Forklifts: essential tool
needs careful handling
Lift trucks of various kinds are necessary for the smooth running of printing
firms of all sizes. Safe operation must be a top priority to prevent accidents
Each year in the UK, around 1,300 people working on or alongside
forklift trucks are killed or seriously injured, according
to figures from the Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA). That
equates to five people each working day. As well as the worst
possible scenario of a workplace fatality – with two such
tragic incidents in the printing industry occurring since the beginning
of 2017 – serious injuries sustained because of the unsafe use
of lift trucks range from fractures through to amputations. And
collisions between forklift trucks and “pedestrians” can also
lead to serious injury or death.
In recent months, there has been a series of incidents
involving forklifts at print and packaging related businesses.
In February, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE)
issued rulings on two cases – one at a packaging company
and one at a postal service company – that saw
workers struck by forklift trucks, with the companies
involved issued heavy fines.
It’s important to note that almost every
single incident involving a forklift truck that
occurs in the UK each year could have been
avoided had companies
and forklift operators followed
basic operating protocols and
procedures.
Safety procedures
So what measures do printing
companies need to put in place
to protect their workers and
ensure forklift trucks are
used safely in the industry?
● Think about the safe movement of lift trucks
and loads as part of your overall safety policy
for people, plant and equipment.
● Reduce risks at points where lift trucks might
meet other traffic or pedestrians, including
areas where lift trucks load and unload other
vehicles. This risk assessment should form
the basis of a safe system of work, and you
should take account of the extra risk when
planning lifting operations.
● Where possible, prohibit pedestrians from
areas where lift trucks are operating and only
allow access to those who operate truck
equipment, or supervisors. If this isn’t
possible, assess the risks to pedestrians and,
where necessary, provide ways to adequately
control the risks.
● All lift-truck operating areas should be
suitably designed and properly maintained.
Make sure the surfaces used by lift trucks are
as level and firm as possible, and preferably
surfaced with concrete or other suitable
material.
● Make sure the workplace is adequately lit,
particularly where there is regular movement
of vehicles; where pedestrians and vehicles
circulate and cross; and near buildings and
plant. Arrange lighting to avoid glare and
avoid sudden changes of lighting levels (for
example, where lift trucks may pass from
bright sunlight into a building).
● Lift-truck stability (both longitudinal and
lateral) can be affected by the load, the task
and the environment where it is operating.
Lateral stability is affected by the forces
generated, such as when turning, or if the
truck is tilted sideways by, for example,
travelling across an incline or running into a
pothole.
● At the beginning of each shift, the operator
should check the lift truck in accordance with
the vehicle handbook and document the
results. They should report to the supervisor
any defects which might affect its safe
operation to ensure they are put right.
● You should have a system in place to ensure
that only authorised operators use lift trucks
and that they are parked safely.
Source: HSE Approved Code of Practice and
guidance: Rider-operated lift trucks. Operator
training and safe use
SAFE USE OF LIFT TRUCKS
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Printweek April & May 2020
According to Tim Waples, CEO of the FLTA, in any workplace where
forklifts are operating, there is always a risk of serious incidents that
could ultimately result in injury – or worse. “Different industries bring
different challenges for forklift operators, whether it’s large loads, tight
spaces with blind spots, loading docks where trucks and pedestrians
are both working, and countless other hazards,” says Waples.
“Whether it’s a DIY store, an oil rig, an industrial plant or a warehouse,
forklifts can be a danger if proper precautions are not
taken. If there’s one thing more dangerous than a forklift in a
workplace, it’s complacency.”
This complacency is the root cause of two of the most
commonplace accidents in the workplace, says Kanwal
Kanda, head of transportation at the HSE. The first of
these is where trucks collide with a pedestrian. “In
broad terms, that is as a result of ineffective segregation
between the lift truck and pedestrian, and
where measures such as physical barriers haven’t
been properly considered,” says Kanda.
“We don’t say physical barriers should be
achieved in all cases because in some
workplaces it’s not achievable, but it is
up to an employer, or those in control
of premises, to determine if such
controls are achievable.”
The best physical barriers are
elevated kerbs and railings, but
a more rudimentary approach
can work if implemented
correctly. “You can visually
demarcate an area
in which forklift trucks
Words Simon Creasey