Driving tests
Two of the most common accidents with forklifts are the forklift tipping over, or the load falling off the pallet. Both types of accidents have caused death and injury, and also cause costly damage to the equipment or to the…
There are several options for hats for forklift operators. A hard hat is often required where a work area may have falling objects. However, a forklift operator might want to wear a cap with a longer visor or a sun…
Roller doors are an area of risk for forklift operations; collisions with them are frequent. If a forklift hits a roller door, it can bend the door or pull it off its tracks. This might mean that it’s impossible to…
Shipping containers are usually lifted or moved by one of six vehicles: Empty container handler Loaded container handler (a heavier version of the empty container handler) Reach stacker Crane Straddle carrier Sideloader Forklift The first five usually lift from the…
Are warning lights, alarms and other safety devices legally required to operate a forklift? There are thousands of forklifts still in operation that were purchased over 30 years ago. These are perfectly good forklifts operating in all kinds of capacities.…
What do hydraulic systems do? Hydraulic systems are used to raise, lower, turn, contract, expand, turn and otherwise move attachments and parts of many different types of equipment such as forklifts, backhoes, excavators, loaders and truck loader cranes. When an…
Forklifts are driven in environments which can be challenging for the operator, both physically and mentally. Employers (PCBUs) must take measures to reduce the impact of these. Industrial noise WorkSafe’s recommendation for the maximum average noise exposure in an 8-hour…
With the right care and maintenance battery-powered forklifts can be recharged many times, and the batteries will last several years. It’s important to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for charging. You’ll need to know this process as part of having either…
Minimum ages for driving a forklift vary by the type of forklift qualification required. This section is for New Zealand, see the end of the article for other countries. Driving a forklift on a road with a gross laden weight under…
As more and more safety compliance responsibility is heaped on companies, some are finding it difficult to achieve dangerous goods compliance when they are using forklifts with LPG cylinders. Cylinders attached to a forklift are not counted as being in…
Forklifts are not designed for towing, but there are three common scenarios where a forklift might be used to move vehicles using an attachment. Because attachments are custom engineered for specific purposes they can be designed to enable forklifts to…
We wrote about options for managing forklift speed in your workplace, and what a forklift speed limit should be for your workplace. One of the methods to restrict forklift speed is to use a speed limiter. What is a forklift…
While there’s nothing in the Approved Code of Practice that says you cannot use two forklifts to lift a load, it is not advisable as a lot can go wrong. The scenario is quite common: a load arrives on a…
Forklifts can become unstable when driven in excess of a safe speed, goods can be damaged and wear and tear is increased, so it’s essential that a forklift speed limit is established. There are many ways in which this can…
The Approved Code of Practice notes one of the main causes of forklift accidents is ‘excessive speed’ and it encourages operators to operate at a ‘safe speed’. However, it isn’t prescriptive in terms of kilometres per hour. It talks about…
If you only drive the forklift in areas which are not classed as roads, then you can drive any forklift, even without a current class 1 licence, as long as you have an appropriate qualification such as a forklift operator’s…
Forklift and walkie stacker operators frequently load trucks. Truck loading is governed by the Truck Loading Code. It’s a document that outlines the legal requirements for load security on a truck or trailer. While the ultimate responsibility for the security…
Many employers use the phrase forklift licence. There is no such thing (as we have discussed before): there is a forklift operator’s certificate and there is an F endorsement (also, you can do the two together). Those are the only…
To operate a forklift on a public road (see the definition of a road) a forklift operator must have an F endorsement. The forklift must have a current warrant of fitness and registration, lights and indicators. However, there is an…
There are five main types of forklift accident: tipping, speed, vehicle impact, fumes and reckless driving. These can result in injury or death to the driver or any pedestrians that the forklift or its load impacts, plus damage to property.…
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