labor lawAdivision of labor law center

In industry, forklifts are fitted with numerous attachments to increase their usefulness. A recent state publication highlights some of the risks of improperly operating a forklift with attachments.

These attachments may include boom extensions, hoppers, rug rams, drum carriers, drum rotators, cylinder caddies and drum grippers. Many of these modifications are seen more often in the manufacturing industry. A load that is well under the maximum capacity of the vehicle but is too far forward, towards the fork tips, can easily create unstable conditions.

According to a Delaware OSHA publication, it’s important for employers and employees to remember that any forklift attachment may have an impact on the equipment’s safety rating. Every modification or addition should be approved by the forklift manufacturer, in writing, in advance. When a modification is made, the truck’s capacity, operation and maintenance instruction plates (tags, or decals) must be changed to reflect the new limitations of the equipment.

The fork extension and the weight of the attachment must be considered part of the load. This reduces the forklift’s total capacity. Whenever moving a load, keep it as low as possible during travel. If the forklift steering seems “light,” the truck is unstable and the operator has very little control over it. Adding more weight to the rear of the forklift does not improve stability. Instead, it moves the forklift’s center of gravity near the rear axel, and unstable pivot point.

Did you know that there are about 1.5 million workers in the U.S. who operate forklifts? Forklifts are more properly called Powered Industrial Trucks, or PITs. Sometimes they are referred to as fork trucks. Whatever you call them, forklifts are used in all industries and are one of the most common causes of serious injuries and fatalities among workers.

Although forklifts appear simple to operate, they pose a number of safety risks. These include the risk of the forklift tipping over due to an improper load balance.

Last 10 posts by Amelia

• COBRA Subsidy Extended Again - March 5th, 2010
• New York Uniform, Meals and Lodging Rules - February 10th, 2010
• New York Non-Exempt Employee Rules - February 3rd, 2010
• New York Tipped Minimum Wage is $4.75 - January 27th, 2010
• Oklahoma Direct Deposit - January 20th, 2010
• 2010 Minimum Wage Recap - January 1st, 2010
• Vermont Minimum Wage 2010 is $8.06 - December 30th, 2009
• New GINA Regulations - December 23rd, 2009
• Kansas 2010 Minimum Wage Increases to $7.25 - December 9th, 2009
• 2010 Washington Minimum Wage is $8.55 - December 2nd, 2009