No matter what industry you work in, there’s always one thing that you have to keep in mind: safety. Your workplace has to be a protected zone for your employees to carry out their jobs with minimal risk of injury.
This is especially true when you’re hiring on a forklift driver. As incredible as forklifts are at making our work lives easier, they can also be harmful or even deadly if the user isn’t careful.
That’s being said, there are expectations set in place that your driver should know to make sure they protect their safety and the safety of those around them. This article goes into detail with what your driver needs to know. Keep reading to find out more.
1. No One Can Be a Forklift Driver Under 18 Years of Age
If you don’t remember anything else, this is one rule that you MUST keep in mind. Even though U.S. citizens are allowed to start working at official businesses before the age of 18, by law they are not allowed to drive a forklift for a company under any circumstances.
When your underage employee turns 18, they will be able to drive a forklift after they complete their forklift certification. Until then, they cannot legally drive the vehicle.
If you find that your forklift driver is underage, make sure to remove them from their positions as soon as possible to make sure you keep them – and by extent, your company – safe.
2. Drivers Should Be Taking Breaks
It has been proven that drivers who lack sleep are more likely to cause accidents. This remains true regardless of the scenario or what type of vehicle is being operated. The thing to note here is that a sleepy or distracted forklift driver can cause some serious damage in the workplace.
Make sure your driver takes plenty of breaks as they operate throughout the day, and that you encourage them to get adequate rest before coming to work.
3. Your Driver Should Watch Their Load
It’s a common thing that forklift drivers tend to place too much of a load on their machines. This is an easy way to place themselves and everyone around them in harm’s way.
Drivers should know to never try lifting excessive loads. They should also make sure not to lift any load too high over the cab, as that could cause the forklift to overturn. Remind them to drive and take turns slowly when carrying a load to maximize safety.
Let’s Take Care of Your Forklift
Knowing the safety measures that a forklift driver should take with their forklift is important, but that’s only scratching the surface. Maintaining and caring for the vehicle also contributes to your employees’ safety. We can help you take care of those problems.
At Superior Industrial Products, we have every part that you need to take care of your forklift and keep it running for many years to come. We also offer forklift servicing, as well as forklift training services to make sure you maximize your forklift’s potential.
Are you ready to get started? Simply give us a call or send us a message to find out more about what we can do to help you. We look forward to making sure your company succeeds, one forklift at a time!