Safety Tips for using Forklifts in Winters

-

 

When material handling work extends to indoor as well as outdoor areas, it becomes imperative to consider all the surrounding elements to ensure safe & productive operations. Weather conditions are one of the concerns that cannot be undermined, especially when it comes to biting, cold winters.

With dipping temperatures, the risk of accidents and break downs drastically increase. To keep a check on these avoidable circumstances, maintenance of your vehicle, particularly if it’s a battery forklift and safety of your operators should be on the priority list.  In this article we’ll walk you through a few key measures that you must be heedful of when operating forklifts in winter:

  1. Ensure a training program for your operators

Providing necessary training to your operators before they confidently take their position at the steering is a must.  Having sound understanding of all the principles of cold-weather and the probable challenges is a boon even for the experienced operators. Not all knowledge is intuitive. Letting your operators navigate through rough terrains and icy inclines in harsh winter conditions only through experience can cost you both in terms of servicing and injury. Therefore, it’s highly recommended that you conduct training sessions for your operators prior to winter operations.

2.       Give priority to Safety

The training programs must emphasize on safety above all. The instructor should help the operators learn to cope with the weather hazards in order to avoid skids, slides and tip-over. Be it managing poor visibility or cornering along with hazard spots at transition points between indoor and outdoor settings, safe driving techniques should be under their belts. 

3.       Make operations comfortable

Being comfortable while operating the vehicle is critical to staying focused and alert. Prolonged exposure to extreme low temperatures can cause discomfort and distraction, leading to impaired judgment. Hence, each worker should have a proper kit of personal protective equipment (PPE), which can include windproof coat and multiple layers of warm clothing. These initiatives should be taken keeping in mind the cabin temperature settings.

4.       Forklift protection

Working in cold winter conditions is equally bad for your forklifts. Do you know electric forklifts are reported to face as much as a 25-50% decrease in cycle times during cold weather? Equipment powered by LP fuel is not immune either. 

Take required precautions to keep your forklifts in good condition. Considering the forklift price in India, you would surely not like to bother yourself with extra servicing costs. Enlisted below are some useful tips that can help reinforce good pre-operation checks:

  • Inspect flashlights for better visibility. 
  • Check tire conditions.
  • Monitor fluid levels regularly. 
  • Allow the forklift warm up before using to keep the engine at optimal performance.

Ideally, hosting meetings before shifts to evaluate current & expected weather conditions can be a useful practice. This will ensure everyone is on the same page and is prepared with desired weather protection action plan.

If you are looking for more information on safe forklift operations or exploring options to buy forklift truck, contact us today. We’ll guide you through all!

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Important Points to Cover in Forklift Driver Training

-
  When it comes to driving a forklift, trained operators in warehouses & factories can tell you how forklifts are not your usual vehicles. This is why, untrained forklift drivers can be dangerous, not just to themselves, but also to others around. Safety training is critical to minimize accidents and fatalities on the job while also reducing financial losses from damaged goods.  So what should be learned while driving a forklift? The theory - First of all, forklifts can be called by various other names such as reach truck , order picker , battery operated platform truck , and so on, all differing slightly in their functionality but falling under the broad category of forklifts. Then, there are also two types of forklift engines such as electric and Internal combustion which can further be categorized into hybrid or a diesel forklift , and so on. Not being clear on these topics can lead to confusion in further stages. Basic Functions - A forklift is literally a machine ...
Read more

Order pickers with Rising forks Promote better Ergonomics and Productivity

-
Optimizing warehousing processes and streamlining their costs is what many industries often juggle with. According to some of the reports a large part of the cost in warehouses arises owing to work-related injuries and work related illness of the workers. Works that require lifting of heavy goods and performing repetitive movements are often associated with health issues.   Order picker  is one of the extensively used machinery in warehousing facilities that helps to maintain proper flow of inventory. An important factor in streamlining supplies chain movement, order picking is a labor-intensive process that requires the operators to remain continuously on their toes. Order pickers who spend their entire time working along the aisles, removing goods from the racking and placing them on the pallets are prone to developing health issues in the absence of proper ergonomic principles. Hence, human-centric organizations are now focusing on introducing ergonomic discipline in th...
Read more

Huge Variables To Think about While Purchasing Another Forklift

-
Forklifts are generally utilized in the assembling area for putting away and taking care of huge items. They have mechanized or battery-worked offset. They include various forks on a water powered pole front and center. Forklifts have three or four haggles the back tire to direct. Forklifts arrive in an expansive assortment, and each type is made to make a specific showing. These are expected for dealing with stock and moving massive freight to better places like capacity, transport vehicles, and so on. In light of multiple factors, it is vital for buy the forklift carefully. Forklifts work for quite a long time together in a distribution center or an assembling firm. Thus, while deciding the sort of forklift that will best meet your organization's requirements, you must be careful while getting it. To stay aware of changing times and guidelines, to buy another forklift, there are a couple of things you really want to ask in advance, as referenced underneath in this blog. These inq...
Read more