Safety priorities for forklifts (mobile plant - traffic management)
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1. Safety priorities for forklifts (mobile plant - traffic management)
On average there are around 200 injuries and one death involving forklifts each year in Western Australia.
As a result, forklift safety is one of the department's priority areas. To reduce lost time injuries and deaths in the workplace inspectors will be visiting your workplace to check forklift safety.
Inspectors will be looking for six key elements in their inspection. These deal with many of the common problems relating to forklifts that WorkSafe Western Australia has found in workplaces. The elements of the checklist do not cover all mandatory requirements under workplace safety and health laws. However, following the same checklist will assist you to identify any shortcomings in your procedures or training and to correct or update them, thus getting you started on meeting your safety and health responsibilities.
A WorkSafe Western Australia survey has shown a low level of compliance with forklift safety requirements. Only 65 per cent of forklifts inspected were in good order, only 43 per cent of the companies provided operator training that complied with the regulations and half did not have an operator's manual for drivers.
In looking at forklift safety and all workplace safety matters, please remember the three ThinkSafe steps:
- spot the hazard;
- assess the risk; and
- make the changes.
2. Checklist
Maintenance record
- Must indicate any maintenance, inspection, commissioning and alterations accomplished
- Recorded evidence of alterations, regular inspections and maintenance of brakes, steering, hydraulics and tyres is particularly important.
Operator training
- Operator must have reached 18 years of age
- Licensed in accordance to procedures contained in regulation 6.6 of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996
Forklift
- Must be in good working order, fittings as required by law.
- Pre-operational check of:
- Roll-over protection
- Falling object protection
- Seat
- Seat belt
- Lights (if used at night)
- Steering
- Controls
- Horn
- Gas cylinder
- Warning signs (decals)
- Brakes
- Mast
- Lights (if used at night)
- Chains
- Tynes
- Hoses
- Counterweight
Capacity chart
- Must:
- Be legible
- Apply to forklift
- Be amended for attachments
- Display the load limits for that forklift
Operator's manual
- Must:
- Be legible
- Be accessible
- Apply to forklift
- Have detail as per manufacturer's specifications
Work area
- Work is organised for the safety of the operator and others.
- Check:
- Work surface
- Ramps
- Loading docks
- Signs
- Hazardous areas
- Control of traffic
- Control of pedestrians
Safe forklift operation
Unless otherwise instrucuted, keys not left in unattended forklift to prevent unauthorised use
3. More information
There are a number of useful publications with information on forklifts safety. For details on these and more about forklift inspections, please refer to the forklift and plant and machinery information on the WorkSafe website or contact WorkSafe via email safety@commerce.wa.gov.au or telephone 1300 307 877.