​Five Things You Should Never Do While Loading A Forklift

30th Nov 2019

Loading a forklift is a very important aspect of forklift safety. A properly loaded forklift is more stable therefore the chances of experiencing forward or sideway tips-over accidents are greatly diminished. Loads falling off the forklift during elevation is also going to be rare. For you to properly load your forklift there are five things that you should avoid. 

Using Weak Pallets

Pallets make it very easy to load and unload loads for diverse warehouse operations. However, over time they become weak due to wear and tear and improper handling.

When such pallets are used for loading a forklift their chances of breaking becomes high making the load being transported lean on one side affecting the stability of the forklift.

Therefore, pallets should be routinely inspected for damage and suitability for operations.

Improper Weight Distribution

Even though one can make the assumption that loads are balanced evenly, more often than not you will come across a load that is heavier in some parts than others.

If you load such a load without a focus on the weight distribution, you will end up having a tip over. Therefore ensure you position the heavier parts of the load facing the backrest with the lighter parts of the load facing away.

Such an arrangement lowers the center of gravity keeping the forklift stable.

Failing To Use Wrapping

It is always a great idea to use different methods to secure the load on the pallets. One such method that has proven helpful is wrapping the load using a shrink wrap.

When you wrap together loads like tiny little boxes you reduce the chances of some of the boxes falling off. If they are not wrapped together some of the boxes falling off will lead to an imbalance in the weight distribution. Transporting such load can lead to tip overs.

Loading Larger loads

Forklifts come in different shapes and sizes and so there is a forklift for any type of load. Therefore, you should avoid lifting larger loads that extend beyond the forks.

Assuming the weight on such a load is evenly distributed it will raise the center of gravity of the forklift by a great margin and cause the forklift to tip over.

Another thing that can happen is the load falling off once it is lifted leading to injuries to pedestrians. It could also damage to the forklift itself.

Placing Heavier Loads At the Top

Working with the weight distribution of a load is very important if you want to guarantee stability. If you have different loads that you want to transport all at once you need to consider their weight.

Once you establish their individual weight, you should stack the lighter loads lower and have the heavier ones stacked higher. Again this works to ensure the center of gravity of the forklift remains lower to enhance stability.

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