The Forklift Operator’s Guide to Performing Visual and Operational Checks

Critical industries meet their everyday productivity goals with machinery like forklifts. They are essential for material handling and a significant responsibility for anyone trained to operate them. Understanding the basic steps for visual and operational checks will help those teams meet compliance requirements, maintain their productivity, and prevent accidents.

Improper Forklift Handling Safety Risks

People may not commit as much time to their forklift inspections if they do not understand what could happen without them. Industry leaders should review the risks with their teams to motivate everyone working with or around forklifts.

1. Inoperable Machinery Disrupts the Workplace

A forklift might look ready to work but could have internal issues that remain unnoticed without inspections. Broken alarms, lights and rusted chains are hazardous equipment concerns that may otherwise make the forklift inoperable. If it stops working in the middle of the workplace, the stagnant machine would disrupt the traffic flow.

Interrupting how manufacturing facilities or busy shipping warehouses work can present significant operational dangers. Data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) notes that pedestrians are involved in 20% of forklift accidents each year. Each forklift should be safe to operate before anyone turns the ignition key, which is only possible with inspections.

2. Injuries to Operators

People might imagine an inoperable forklift slowly rolling to a stop when something breaks. While that can happen, it is not always the case. If a crew member skips steps in their inspection and doesn’t find that the tires do not have enough internal air pressure, the unevenly distributed weight could cause a tip-over. The driver might experience injuries when their forklift topples, especially if improper brakes prevent them from managing their speed on ramps.

3. Potential Fatalities

Forklifts that are not ready to use could do more than hurt the operators or the surrounding employees. If a machine cannot brake, accelerate fast enough, lift heavy materials or beep when backing up, people could get hit and suffer fatal injuries. While financial and reputational damage are consequences of failed safety checks, the potential for fatalities is the most important one to remember.

Steps to Operate a Forklift Safely

When team members start their shift, they should proceed with basic steps to perform the necessary visual and operational forklift checks. They will know they are ready to work when their machinery is safe to do the same.

1. Understand OSHA Standards

Learning OSHA forklift regulatory requirements is part of any operator’s job. Signage should exist where they will perform their daily inspections so they do not forget a single step. OSHA recommends completing examinations daily or after shifts if the forklifts operate around the clock. Exhaustion, arriving late to work and busy workdays should not compromise a person’s ability to remember the inspection steps.

2. Inspect Outer Components

Start the inspection by double-checking the exterior parts of their forklift. Look closely at elements like:

• Each tire’s pressure and condition.
• The forks, including the heel and top clip retaining pin.
• The overhead guard, finger guards, safety decals and attachments.
• The gas cap or battery compartment, depending on the forklift’s primary power source.
• The operator compartment for debris around the pedals or grease on the essential controls.
• The lights and windshield.

Even seemingly small steps are crucial for keeping the workplace safe. If the tires do not have the recommended internal air pressure for the forklift model, they risk punctures and blowouts during operation. People could get hurt, and the workflow could stop, especially if more than one forklift becomes unusable.

3. Check the Interior Parts

Next, forklift operators should closely inspect anything within the machine. Proceeding with caution will ensure team members spot potential safety concerns. Depending on the type of forklift they drive, they can continue by inspecting parts such as:

• Engine oil levels
• Brake reservoirs
• Belts and hoses
• Engine coolant levels
• Air filters
• Radiators
• Cables and connectors
• Electrolyte levels
• Battery restraints
• Mounted liquid propane tanks
• Pressure relief valves
• Tank restraint brackets
• Potential tank leaks

Some personal protective equipment may be necessary during such inspections. Long sleeves could protect workers from frayed wires, while face shields prevent oil and coolants from splashing into anyone’s eyes. Gloves are also a necessity because they provide protection and traction.

4. Test the Forklift’s Functionality

After finishing their visual inspections, team members can proceed with operational checks. They should turn the forklift on and check critical functions to ensure that it does everything it needs to, like:

• Brakes
• Steering capabilities
• Horn sounds
• Lights
• Backup alarm
• Forward and reverse driving
• Forward, back, hoist and lower fork control
• Accelerator linkage
• Inch control
• Hour meter
• Attachment control

If those parts pass inspection, the hydraulic systems and load-handling mechanisms will be ready to work. Staff must report anything that does not work, vibrates too much or makes unusual noises.

5. Review the Surroundings

When a forklift is ready, employees must check their environment to ensure everyone else is safe. Workways and ramps should remain clear. Materials piled next to shelving or doorways could become forklift obstacles that cause accidents.

Spilled liquids may also present increased dangers. They could be flammable or within walkways. Tracking the liquids through the warehouse with the forklift wheels might also create unsafe walking conditions for people not using forklifts.

Leverage Technology to Improve Safety Measures

Integrating new tech resources into a forklift operator’s routine could improve their accuracy and safety. Internet-connected sensors are one of the leading options. Because they are so useful, Internet of Things devices used for warehouse management will generate $57.2 billion by 2033. They could provide continual forklift data by reading fluid levels or battery power and sending readings to a team-wide software program. Staff would have more information when doing inspections, resulting in safer machinery.

Virtual reality training modules could also effectively prepare them for forklift inspections. They can practice identifying safety concerns and implementing solutions without those dangers putting anyone at actual risk. The modules could double as annual training requirements, so everyone refreshes themselves on visual and operational check standards.

Cloud-based software programs might improve inspections, too. Team members could complete each step with checklists on tablets. Their logs double as compliance tracking and real-time reporting for team leaders in other parts of the workplace. If the inspection process requires a new step, everyone can get instant updates and remain on the same page.

Standardize Visual and Operational Forklift Checks

Performing operational and visual forklift inspections is crucial for operators, employees, management teams and companies. They keep people safe and ensure enterprises remain in alignment with compliance standards. If everyone knows how to complete those checks, workplaces will foster better environments.