Forklifts are an integral part of industries where material handling is paramount. To ensure a safe working environment, forklifts need to be in good working condition. Regular and thorough inspection around a forklift is important to provide a safe working environment to the workers. Defects either minor or major need to be immediately reported to the worksite in-charge so that quick action is taken against it and risks are minimized.
Performing a daily safety check of forklift forms the basics of a forklift operator training program. The safety checklist of a forklift plays a vital role in the smooth functioning of a forklift and assuring safety. The checklist consists of visual and operational pre-use checks. Tires, battery, fluid levels, forks, masts, and seatbelts check fall under visual check, whereas lights, horn, leakages, unusual sounds from the forklift, hydraulic controls, and hoses, and steering fall under operational pre-use checks.
Let us dive deeper into understanding the importance of daily safety check of a forklift and the benefits that follows it.
Reduces the risk of accidents at the worksite
Checking both visual and operational pre-used features of a forklift can reduce the risk of accidents at a worksite by many folds. Improper inspection can result in neglecting a serious defect that can either cause damage to the load or the operator/pedestrian or both. To avoid these possibilities, a daily inspection is strictly recommended. For instance, if the horn of a forklift is not checked before getting behind the wheels, it will fail to alert a pedestrian and may cause accidents that take a lot of recovery time and cause loss of productivity.
Ensures easy and timely maintenance of a forklift
Daily safety checks keep forklift in good working condition. It helps identify defects before the time, ensuring no more excessive wear and tear of a component of a forklift. Also, a routine inspection makes it easy to maintain a forklift and enhances it’s longevity. For instance, identifying and reporting worn-out tires of a forklift in time can eliminate operational failures and downtime. This way, regular inspection saves the efforts required to fix many issues caused by a single problem.
Saves money
Checking and inspecting a forklift daily can help save a lot of money as it ensures the forklift is in good condition. Alternately, if the daily inspections are neglected, the forklift may require maintenance frequently and may cause accidents that will result in more expenditure. For instance, a forklift that undergoes strict inspection daily does justice to the warranty period and contributes to standard performance levels and increase in productivity levels. On the other hand, improper handling and operation of a forklift results in high maintenance, higher downtime and decreased productivity levels, thereby costing more.
If you are planning to buy a new forklift or run a health-check on your existing forklift, OM, a leading forklift manufacturer in India is always at your service. Here you will find a wide range of forklift suitable for your requirements and a dedicated team that takes care of maintenance and repair of forklifts.