Enforcing Forklift Seat Belt Safety
Wearing a forklift seat belt is part of practicing safety for forklift operators. Buy why do many try to skip this step? We all got use to wearing seat belts in the car. Even when we have multiple stops to make, we automatically put it on and take it off. What is the difference in the seat belts and what does it actually accomplish? We’ll also take a look at what can occur when a forklift seat belt isn’t worn, and how we can be sure the forklift seat belt is worn with the help of a forklift safety system. Let’s get started.
What is a Forklift Seat Belt vs. Car Seat Belt
Let’s start with the car since this is what most people know. When we wear a seat belt in the car, this is meant to protect drivers from high speed accidents. However, when you wear a forklift seat belt, the purpose is different. A forklift seat belt is intended to protect the operator from jumping out of the forklift or being crushed if the forklift tips over. According to the NSC, one of the most frequent type of forklift accidents is forklift tip overs. To address some common questions, review it here from OSHA.
Why Is the Forklift Seat Belt Ignored?
Forklift operators are constantly in and out of the forklift. It’s not just a get in and stay there for a full shift, there are many other reasons the forklift operator needs to exit the forklift. But when you add their target goals for the shift, which puts plenty of pressure on the forklift operator, every second counts. This is one of the reasons the operators fail to put the forklift seat belt on. Management understands the issue, but it is required to wear the forklift seat belt. The loss from many perspectives is too great.
Most Common Forklift Accident
As mentioned above, one of the most common forklift accidents is the forklift tip over. The seat belt plays an important role. As seen in this video, there are numerous issues with the way the operator is driving. It’s too fast, the load remains elevated while driving and finally turning the corner with a load too quickly which results in the forklift tipping over. Without the seat belt being in place, the operator wants to jump from the open forklift. This is the worst thing to do as the forklift operator will get injured or killed in the process. The forklift seat belt keeps the operator in place, you brace yourself and fall with the forklift. You might have a couple of bruises, but the operator’s life stays intact.
How to Ensure the Forklift Seat Belt is Worn
The SIERA.AI forklift safety system ensures that the forklift seat belt is worn at all times. How? Simple the forklift will not start. At any time, the driver leaves the forklift, and comes back on to continue, the forklift will not move. The seat belt must be worn. It’s not just at the start of the shift when the forklift inspection is completed, it’s throughout the entire shift.
Let’s be sure that all precautions are taken and contact us to discuss our forklift safety system. It does more than just the seat belt, it will also help you achieve OSHA compliance, better answers to inspection questions and keep pedestrians and the operator safe. Contact us today at sales@siera.ai or call us at
(512) 817 0702.