benefits of forklift safety training

Why Supervisors and Operators Need Forklift Safety Refresher Courses

It’s not uncommon for people in management positions to neglect getting forklift safety refresher courses. This happens for a variety of reasons; they feel that letting their certifications expire doesn’t pose a threat if they’re not operating the equipment daily, their attention might be being pulled in many different directions, and budgetary constraints may dissuade […]

forklift load center

Defining Forklift Load Center

Understanding the forklift load center is vital to an operator keeping the forklift and load stable. Keep in mind that forklifts typically weigh almost twice of their rated lift capacity. To protect operators and product, load center ratings are required on the forklift data plate. To understand the concept of load center, visualize two children […]

forklift dock safety

Dock Safety Hazards of Loading and Unloading Trailers

The act of loading and unloading a trailer forces the forklift operator to interact with another piece of equipment (trailer) and another human (truck driver), which increases safety risks and hazards. Dock Safety: Common Hazards Trucks and trailers can creep away from docks while loading and unloading due to the weight and force of the […]

forklift training best practices

Forklift Training Best Practices

Since 1997, ProLift has supported customers with forklift safety training classes for forklift operators and forklift operator train-the-trainer classes for new trainers. Some trainings are hosted at our ProLift locations; however, most take place at the customer’s site and our Training team has learned how to plan for a training class no matter the setting […]

forklift operator traiing

Should You Have an In-House Forklift Safety Trainer?

Every company using forklifts is responsible for providing operator safety training to keep in compliance with federal law. When developing a safety plan for your company and its forklift operators, the first decision to make is whether to have an in-house forklift safety trainer or outsource to a specialist. In-House Forklift Safety Trainer Advantages When […]

forklift license

Do You Need a Forklift License?

In 1999, OSHA revised their powered industrial truck guidelines to require all operators attend a forklift safety training class that includes formal instruction, hands-on training and an evaluation of the operator’s performance on the worksite. Conducted by a trainer with knowledge and experience, the forklift training must be received upon hire and renewed every 3 […]

forklift operator training

Forklift Safety: Who Has the Right of Way?

With a weak economy and consumer confidence low, companies are closely watching revenue and profit margins. The few companies that are experiencing growth are holding off on non-essential costs such as building expansions or moving to larger facilities. Forklift Pedestrian Safety More work is being accomplished in tighter areas – that means forklifts and pedestrians […]

forklift tip over

What to Do During a Forklift Tip-Over

On average 100 people lose their lives each year working on, or around forklifts, and almost half of those casualties result from forklift tip-over accidents. Engineering, accident statistics, eye-witness, and first-hand accounts tell us that if an operator stays inside the overhead guard area in the seat of the forklift, the operator’s chance of survival […]

Watering forklift battery

Forklift Battery Charging Station Safety

When an electric forklift’s battery is approximately 80% discharged, it is an ideal time for the forklift operator to return the battery to the charging station. Because charging the forklift battery poses safety risks involving sulfuric acid, battery charging installations shall be located in areas designated for that purpose only and forklift battery charging station […]

forklift tail swing

Forklift Tail Swing

A forklift counterweight can show the failure in design and layout of a facility. Unlike automobiles, forklifts steer from the rear. This design creates a forklift tail swing during turns, moving the rear of the forklift to the opposite side of the turn. Pedestrians and fixed objects such as walls, racking and products are at risk […]

Forklift Operator Training

Training For Change

Why do we conduct forklift operator training every 3 years? Things change with technology, facilities, materials, processes, laws, standards, and forklift equipment. Unfortunately, we human beings change over time too: eye sight, eye-to-hand coordination, motor skills, memory and cognitive capability. Forklift Training: Training and Evaluation Changes require training and evaluation. We must allow operators to […]

Toyota Core Electric Forklift

Benefits of Forklift Safety Training

Justifying the cost and the time needed to conduct safety training for your lift equipment can be a struggle. It’s easy to lean on the federal law using OSHA as a scare tactic or to use a guilt factor, encouraging others in the company to focus on their employees’ health and survival. Both arguments can be powerful, but there are other benefits of lift safety training.