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How to Prevent Forklift Abuse

With the high cost of forklift repairs and service, you can reduce the amount of money spent on your equipment and the amount of machine downtime at your facility by following our forklift abuse prevention tips.

  • Poor Floor Conditions
    • Always be on the lookout for debris such as wood, plastic wrap, twine, and branding.
    • If debris is blown into the engine compartment, it can have costly effects on the cooling system, radiator and cause axle damage, as well as engine failure.
    • Solution: Dedicate time to cleaning up around the facility and, as an operator, be cautiously on the lookout for debris.
  • Improper Operating Practices
    • Congested working areas can cause impact damage to products, lift trucks, and your facility. This impact includes damage to the forklift tires, wheels, body panels, frame parts, forks, attachments, and the load backrest.
    • Never practice “bulldozing” or pushing pallets across the floor because this results in premature tire wear and transmission damage.
    • Always know your machines capabilities so you don’t lose control of your forklift and cause product damage or personal injury.
    • Solution: Assure that every operator has been through forklift training and understands how to use their machine correctly.
  • Unsafe Lifting & Traveling Speeds
    • Always reduce your speed while lifting any type of load. Tip-overs can result from raising heavy loads while traveling too fast.
    • Do not “floor” your forklift around the facility because unsafe traveling speeds can result in serious damage or injury.
    • Solution: Keep it slow when raising heavy loads and slow down around corners. We also recommend sounding your horn so you are known.
  • Incorrect Equipment
    • The wrong equipment for the job can cause premature wear and system failures. Proper equipment can help ensure efficient forklift operation and performance which means overall lower maintenance cost.
    • Know the difference between correct and incorrect tires to use because the wrong tires can cause major maintenance expenses.
    • Solution: If you are not sure about what type of equipment or forklift tires you need, contact Fallsway.

Whether your team needs training, assistance in finding the right forklift for your project or anything in between, give the experts at Fallsway a call at 855-662-8379 to get started today.

Originally published 11/9/2016
Updated 5/7/2019

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