5 Reasons Why You Need Forklift Training

A forklift can be a powerful and useful tool when used by a trained operator. But never forget that this powerful machine needs to be treated with respect and by someone who understands the risk these machines can pose if it is mishandled or if safety procedures are forgotten even for a single moment.

Here are 5 reasons you need forklift training.

1. Forklift training will explain who can drive a forklift, what licenses and specific training, if any, they need and how often they need to renew that training to help ensure that they are competent to operate a forklift safely and understand the penalties that can occur if they fail to follow those safety procedures.

2. Forklift safety will cover how a forklift should be checked to make sure it is safe for operation and how often such safety checks should be carried out. This is important in ensuring that a forklift can be operated in the way it is intended to be operated thus reducing the risk of accidents due to operating an improperly working or functioning machine. You will also learn how to record these safety checks to reduce liability in case a forklift should malfunction during use as well as how to deal with the most common problems that may occur during operation to minimize risk of injury.

3. Forklift operators will also be trained or reminded on the procedures for safely lifting and moving loads according to OHS guidelines and as well as what should never be done. They will also review the safe parking of a forklift in order to avoid injury and ensure that it placed safely out of the work area where workers are likely to trip over it or have it interfere with the safe conduction of their jobs. In view of the number of accidents that occur each year involving the unsafe use of forklifts it is wise to know and be reminded of those procedures that need to be followed in order to prevent injury or death to one or more of your workers.

4. Forklift training will also deal with the most common reasons and situations in which accidents occur and how to avoid these risks and safely operate the forklift. By learning how to avoid the most common situations and behaviors that result in accidents, you will benefit by having less expensive damage to equipment, less risk of injury to workers and a reduction of OHS penalties.

5. Forklift training will make both forklift operators and business owners aware of the risks that these machines can pose and then to identify the risks at their own businesses and find ways of eliminating or minimizing those risks so that the forklift can be used as the tool it is meant to be saving backbreaking labor and actually making the workplace safer.

Forklift training doesn’t just benefit the worker who operates the forklift but, benefits all those working in the vicinity where these machines are being operated and benefits your business as well.