​Five Things That Will Make Your Forklift To Tip Over

23rd Nov 2020

Every year approximately 20,000 forklift operators are either killed or injured due to avoidable forklift accidents. Most of these accidents are usually caused by the forklift tipping over.

A forklift tip-over normally occurs when the forklift’s center of gravity is shifted either forward or sideways leading to it losing balance and tipping forward or on its side.

So what are the major causes of forklift's tipping over?

Improper Driving Habits on an Incline

Transporting load while on an incline is a very common cause of forklift tip-overs. One of the ways this usually happens is when the operator is trying to make a turn on an incline. When this happens there is a shift in the center of gravity of the forklift to the side making it tip sideways.

If the operator also tries to lift or lower a load while on a slope the forklift will tip forward. To avoid this, while traveling up or down a ramp with a load the operators should ensure that the load is facing the upward side of the incline for better balance.

Over Speeding and Braking Suddenly

It is very tempting even for experienced forklift operators to engage in over-speeding in order to do more in a short period of time. However, this is very unfortunate as the operators are forced to brake abruptly when they encounter obstacles in their path.

What comes next is the forklift tipping forward since the over speeding normally makes it very unstable. To avoid this, forklift operators are advised to observe speed regulations in the environment they are operating in.

Exceeding the Load Limits

There are many reasons why forklift operators are required to ensure the load being transported on a forklift is not in excess of the forklift’s recommended weight. One of these reasons is because when a forklift is overloaded its center of gravity shifts making it very unstable and risky to operate.

Since the mast is strained by the heavy load, it eventually gives in to the excess weight of the load making the forklift to tilt forward. Operators should, therefore, ensure they carefully interact with the forklift’s load data plate so that they know the recommended weight each forklift can sustain.

Driving In the Wrong Direction

Driving the forklift in the wrong direction is also one of the major reasons why forklifts tip over. One of the ways this normally happens is when the forklift operator drives the forklift across a slope. When they do this they shift the forklift’s center of gravity to one side leading to a sideways tip over.

One other erratic driving habit that will make the forklift tip-over is when the operator underestimates the edges of the ramp and drives very close to them. In case of high ramps a tip over will happen to make the forklift crash in a fatal accident.

Transporting an Unstable Load

One of the ways a forklift can tip over is when the load that is being transported is very unstable. Some of the common reasons why the load might be unstable are; when they are not properly centered, they are moving or they are loosely held.

The unstable load will eventually affect the stability of the entire forklift making it either tilt side-ways or forwards. So as an operator you should always ensure that the load you are transporting is stable and well balanced on the forks.

So to avoid forklifts accidents due to tip-overs, first, as an operator you should adopt proper driving habits while on an incline. When you are moving a load within a warehouse make sure you are well informed about the safety rules and directions. You should also use the forklift on loads that are within the recommended weight. Also avoid transporting unstable load and driving across slopes or ramps.

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