Forklift Operator Don't Forget to Use Your Seat Restraints



Posted: Saturday, June 26, 2010

by Brenton Hill
The Workplace Safety Store

The majority fatalities in forklift accidents occur because the driver gets trapped or crushed by the overhead guard of the rollover protection cage. This is typically as a result of drivers not putting on seat restraints while operating a lift truck, according the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH).

Compared to an automobile, not wearing a seat harness in a forklift exposes the driver to a greater risk of harm even though forklifts move at speeds usually far lower than cars and trucks. An examination of the design and physical features of a forklift shows us the reasons why.

New forklift drivers, especially young workers, tend to think of forklifts as over-sized toys. However, they are not. Even a small riding forklift is heavier than a medium sized automobile. Forklifts also have a higher center of gravity. On top of that, they steer by rotating their rear axle, usually mounted on a pin. Although, this allows forklifts to move around in tight spaces, it also reduces the effective support base to that of a triangle thus making it easy to tip a forklift over. Therefore, even a small bump on the driving surface or a low curb edge can cause a forklift to tip-over.

When a forklift starts to tip-over, the instinctive response of the driver is to jump. In a tip-over, the combination of these factors causes a forklift to fall over in a flash and without much advance warning. The bars of the safe cage also get in the way. Therefore, it is virtually impossible for a driver to jump clear. They invariably get caught by the guard of the safety cage. The resulting injuries are often fatal.

Numerous investigative reports by NIOSH, OSHA and other regulatory agencies show that during a rollover the safest place for a forklift operator is inside the rollover safety cage strapped securely to the seat. It is, therefore, particularly important for forklift drivers to use seatbelts at all times.

As an associate of the Workplace Safety Store, Brenton Hill is responsible for the selection and development of Occupational Health & Safety training programs. He is also active in the producing ancillary new media support for forklift safety training.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)
» left by Chris M.Davis
 1 year 330 days ago.
3 fans.
I agree 100%, safety first!
 
Chris
» left by Nenita Wells
 1 year 329 days ago.
298 fans.
Hi Brenton. Welcome to Searchwarp. Great article and is well-written. Thank you for writing this. ~~Nenita
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