Let Forklift Training be Driven by Telematics and Operator Behavior

Forklift training is a critical responsibility for fleet operations managers. Operations managers are a critical component to the organization’s supply chain. Their responsibilities and level of importance continues to increase making it challenging to manage all of the movements, activities and resources. As operations managers oversee the everyday tasks, they are also responsible for creating a safe and productive work environment.

Forklift Training: Digital Transforms the Workplace

OSHA has certainly championed the cause for workplace safety as forklift operators need to be evaluated every few years, or if they have an accident. However, the operations manager will not always know when there is an accident. It is true, they will know if it’s a serious accident with injuries or a fatality. But if it’s a smaller accident that leaves the racking system unstable, for instance, the operations manager may not find out until a larger accident happens due to the affected racking system.

What if you don’t have to rely on workers in the facility or other forklift operators to inform you of the damage? What if you could know:

• • When there was an impact, how forceful and who
  • If the forklift pre-shift digital checklist was or was not completed and by who
  • If a forklift failed an inspection and get notified
  • If an unauthorized person tried to use a forklift

In 2021, it will be crucial for all businesses to use their safety data to perform predictive safety modeling. This modeling will aim to anticipate potential safety hazards and establish which conditions increase the occurrence of incidents.

Source: 4 Trends in Occupational Safety and Health to Expect in 2021, Columbia Southern University

Forklift Training: Telematics

Telematics monitors the movements, status and behavior of the operator and their forklift truck. Telematics has come a long way in the past few years, and is now reaching new levels of independent, actionable information especially with AI technology. AI technology does all the work. It doesn’t require wearable devices, or any other technologies that pedestrians or workers need to use in order for data to be captured. The forklift mounted tablet records the data and transmits it to a web-based Dashboard where it can be viewed in real-time, or in numerous ways allowing you to drill down to a single forklift in a particular facility.

Forklift Training: S2 Digital Inspection with Impact Monitoring

The S2 is a complete digital solution with built-in intelligence to help you monitor, capture and report the information you need to know about the health and productivity of the forklift fleet.

With the S2 forklift monitoring solution you will know:

• • When there was an impact, how forceful and who 
  • If the forklift pre-shift digital checklist was or was not completed and by who
  • If a forklift failed an inspection and get notified
  • If an unauthorized person tried to use a forklift

Web-based Dashboard

Information collected is gathered in one central location, the Dashboard. In here, all of the digital data is presented in a way where actionable decision making on tracking safety and performance can occur. The best and most effective way of understanding who and where the focus needs to be is with the ability to view inspection and safety analytics at a top level or multiple sites simultaneously, or drill down to a location even down to a particular forklift in the forklift fleet. Once you’ve had an opportunity to view the metrics or telematics, you’re ready to tailor training by the individual operator.

Tailored Operator Training

Now that you know forklift impacts and pre-shift checklist data and failures, you can tailor training to each forklift operator. You no longer will need to train experienced forklift drivers on the basics, just where they need better information and skills. Those with less experience get a better understanding of what they are doing right and where they need improvement. The message is ‘let’s get better’.

Ready to get the right telematics strategy that focuses on what you need? Get started with our Free 5-Step Safety Strategy Guide below.