Forklift Accidents are Not Included in the Safety Report
This year’s Employee Safety Report was released this month which surveyed over 2,000 workers in the U.S. and an additional 1,000 in the U.K. about their thoughts and concerns about workplace safety. An expected 96% of respondents said that ‘being physically safe at work’ is important, but 56% said that they don’t feel entirely safe. However, this is where the numbers made the difference. The Report calculated that 4 out of 5 workers said that they experienced an emergency on the job. What was interesting to note in the study, is that forklift accidents are not included in the safety reports.
Why Forklift Accidents are Not Included in the Safety Report
We’re beginning to witness a transition in forklift safety and that’s with a forklift safety system. This is not to say that it’s off the top 10 list, it continues to reside on the list each year. However, it doesn’t seem to be the concern of most workers. However, one of the items on the list, is certainly an up and comer, according to OSHA. That’s workplace violence.
There are numerous programs that need to be implemented due to workplace violence in order to keep the weaponization down to a minimum. That’s what a forklift safety system can do for your workplace. Forklifts can be used as a weapon by running a fellow worker down, using the forklift to trip them, or even pin a person to a wall or racking system by using the forklift. How can this be minimized so forklift are not used in this way?
Forklift Access Control
Forklift access control is a necessity for forklifts to have. To begin, unless you have authorized access to be on a forklift, the forklift will no longer start. By keeping the forklift silent in times of workplace violence, it won’t be used as a deadly tool. We have reported numerous times on the hazards of unprotected forklift from teenagers and young children to adults. All ages are attracted to the forklift.
Next, forklifts cannot be accessed unless the driver is identified as certified. The forklift maintains the certifications and notifies the driver in advance that their certifications are due. It will also let the managers know of the upcoming expiration as well. If the driver does not renew their certification, then the driver will be locked out until the certification is complete.
In addition, when the forklift driver gets on the forklift, it is protected until the driver inputs their 4 digit PIN number, or scans the QR code which identifies the driver. This is important as not all drivers are certified to be on every forklift. This is the way to control who goes on which forklift, especially if they are certified on a Class I and not a Class II or III.
Finally, the forklift operator will only proceed with their work once the forklift inspection checklist is completed and it passes. If it doesn’t pass, it will notify the manager so the situation can be attended to immediately.
Even though Forklift Accidents are Not Included in the Safety Report, it is still critical to invest in a forklift safety system in order to keep pedestrians and everything around it safe from harm. Contact us today to begin your journey to zero accidents.
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Contact us today at sales@siera.ai or call us at (512) 817 0702.