A forklift is a quintessential equipment in a warehouse, without which carrying loads is questionable. Hence, the manager must abide by various precautionary steps that mitigate the forklift damage and save you from downtime. The article highlights the most asked and unanswered question, “Best ways to prevent forklifts damage.” Since forklifts carry heavy loads of machinery, the chances of its damage increase to multifold times, thus costing a lot to the company. Fortunately, there are different ways to reduce the electric forklifts damage in warehouse and let’s discuss it more here.
Types of Forklift Damage
Several factors can lead to forklift damage, but the common among them are
- Loads fall off the forks
- Puncture loads
- Mast crushes pallets
These types of damage occur when the forklift is misaligned, and the pallets are stacked inappropriately.
How do you keep your pallet safe and prevent damage due to forklifts?
Forklifts are common causes of accidents in the warehouse. Luckily, you can take preventive measures to reduce the damage. The forklifts issues and damage may occur due to several reason and it’s often suggested to have the proactive steps taken to manage the Forklifts into warehouse or commercial places.
Buy forklifts from licensed operators.
Don’t buy electrical material handling equipment from any store nearby. The vendor should be certified and reputed. The reputed forklift operator company is re-evaluated every three years to avoid penalties, and thus it reduces the damage caused by forklifts.
Check the pallets
Most of the forklift damage occurs due to pallets. The pallets you are using might not be of the right fit and size or might be inappropriately stacked or overstacked, or understocked, which causes misalignment to your machine. The pallets can fall in midway or cause a burden on the forklift.
The best way to prevent forklift damage is to select the right pallets. When picking up the pallet, consider its weight, packing and size. Many believe that heavier-duty pallets render stability to the forklift; it is not true, and vice versa. Here’s how you can select the pallets.
The pallets with bevelled edges- The pallets should be of bevelled edges because it creates minimum pressure on the forklift and encourages your load to pass through slides easily. Pallets with square edges do not provide this benefit.
Select reinforced pallet legs and decks- Preventing forklift damage becomes easier when the pallet has strong blocks or stringers. The internal block holds the pallets; if the forklift damages those boards, the pallets won’t last forever.
Inspect the pallets before loading- Before loading the pallets on the forklift, you should carefully inspect the loads for jutting nails, missed blocks, broken planks, etc.
Trained operators
Only electric forklift specialists should be allowed to operate the forklifts. When the operators lack training, the pallets often get damaged on the move. Proper training will reduce the damage and reduce the chances of mishaps.
Some pallet vendors offer training videos or instruct them online on handling the pallets. If you want, you can consider reaching out to them.
Other Measures of Electric Forklifts
Warehouse Lighting
Another cause of warehouse or work site accidents is improper lighting. Even if you buy a forklift from a reputed electric forklift supplier, if the environment has poor lighting, pallet packing and load handling, errors could happen. Hence, we suggest you swap to proper lighting arrangements so that the people can see and perform better.
Open the aisles
The electric forklift in South Africa recommends keeping the aisles open because your forklift is not meant to run on swerving obstacles. Though the forklift can be manoeuvred in different directions, any obstacle around the floor can cause the load to drop and slide, or the forklift could collide. Hence, to reduce damage, keep it open.
Don’t use forklifts for anything and everything under the roof
Though it is a common sight that forklift operator usually use the forks to push the loads, but don’t do the same. Using the forks for anything other than carrying a load can pose serious damage.
Don’t lift loads of excessive capacity.
Your forklift comes with a capacity; pay attention to it and don’t overload it to minimize the chances of damage.
Don’t let it hit the grounds.
Bring your loads slowly down on the warehouse platform, and don’t let them hit the ground directly. It could cause serious damage and can be a safety concern.
Use both the forks
Don’t lift the load with one fork; both of them are meant to work together. Using one can cause bending, cracking and other irreversible damage.
Check the wheel
The wheel carries the weight of the load, so it’s important to keep it protected from heat and excessive pull and push; otherwise, it can make your forks vulnerable to damage and accidents.
Final Thoughts
The forklifts are a primary cause of injury and accidents in the warehouse. It can seriously devastate your workforce and loads; if not handled properly. You can contact Orizen Group in South Africa if you wish to know about lithium-ion forklift safety tips or buy material handling equipments and products that improve productivity and efficiency in your warehouse.
