The Importance of a Thorough Training Process When Hiring New Forklift Operators

All sorts of workers need proper screening, training and orientation, but this is particularly important in physical roles, such as the job of a forklift operator.

Forklifts are challenging machines. They’re extremely heavy, with protruding metal forks that can be difficult to maneuver, and improper over-extension can cause extreme and tragic accidents. A forklift is even more dangerous than many other kinds of equipment, because of its ability to expand heavy weights far beyond its center of gravity.

Critical Forklift Safety

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA provides standard guidelines for forklift safety. OSHA recommends both a written test and an operational test for forklift operators, to make sure they understand the actual techniques that will provide safety in the field.

By investing in proper safety and guidance for anyone handling one of these machines in a warehouse, companies are providing both financial and physical security for themselves and for the rank-and-file workers who do the tough jobs that make a warehouse work each day.

Aspects of Forklift Safety Training

So what’s involved in forklift safety training?

Resources like this one from Grainger show some of the core standards for training someone to use a forklift safely.

One category of safety issues is what you might call ‘equipment related’ — this extends to items like understanding how a forklift engine or motor works, how to steer, how to use fork attachments, vehicle stability, how to power up the vehicle, and more. Safety experts note that training should involve some instruction on how forklifts are different from automobiles or other conventionally steered machines.

Another category of safety issues are ‘workforce related’ — this extends to knowing how to anticipate pedestrian traffic, traveling narrow aisles, navigating uneven grades, and knowing when to avoid moving a forklift onto an unsafe surface.

Another aspect of training deals with the repetitive motions that a forklift operator might make. Many forklift drivers have a very standard routine trajectory: they pick up skids or pallets from a particular area, take them quickly to a truck, and have to load them into a narrow shipping or transport space. One of the challenges with this is the “hurry up” mentality, or the tendency to rush jobs, which can compromise safety quite a bit. Forklift training should also address these issues and help operators understand how to optimize this machine to do work efficiently and safely.

Modern warehouse managers understand that how these facilities operate make a difference. Beyond rote production, it’s important to have premium safety measures in place, to prevent both financial and personal liabilities from potential equipment accidents.

For more on training all of your employees according to their job roles, keep an eye on the Full Steam Staffing blog to understand what our staffing services company provides to Ontario, California businesses.