Every year, there are nearly 35,000 forklift accidents. This number includes underride accidents which can often be deadly. Underride accidents are a serious safety concern for businesses that use forklifts. These accidents can cause severe injuries or death to employees.
Fortunately, there are things that can be done to make these accidents far less likely. In this blog post, we will discuss ways to minimize the risk of a reach truck underride crash. By following these tips, you can keep your employees safe and avoid costly fines and lawsuits.
What Is an Underride Crash?
Modern forklifts are much safer than they were in decades past, but under-ride hazards still pose a serious concern. Underride crash means accidents that occur when an employee backs their standing machine too far into horizontal shelving causing it to slide underneath and crush them against shelves or other objects. When an underride accident occurs, it is often due to the negligence of both employers and operators.
How to Prevent an Underride Accident
The idea of an underride truck accident can be very scary for both employers and employees. By taking the proper precautions the chances of an accident can be reduced greatly. Below is a list of some of the things that can be done:
Keep Forklifts Properly Maintained
Forklifts serve an important purpose in warehouses, factories, and other industrial settings. They are used to move heavy loads around the workplace, making the job of moving objects from one place to another much easier. However, forklifts can also be dangerous if they are not properly maintained.
Maintenance is an important part of keeping any piece of machinery running safely and effectively. If forklifts are not properly maintained, there is a greater risk of an accident happening. Maintenance includes checking fluid levels, cleaning filters, and making sure all parts are in good working order.
Ensure That Drivers Drive Slowly When Turning or Moving in Reverse
Backing up too quickly is one of the leading causes of forklift accidents. When a person is in a hurry, it’s easy to lose focus and accidentally back into something. This can cause damage not only to the object that was hit, but also to the driver, other employees, and the forklift itself.
Turning quickly can also be dangerous if you’re not careful. If a driver turns too fast, they may lose control of the forklift and end up hitting something else. It’s important that drivers take their time when turning, and to make sure that they’re aware of their surroundings before starting.
Minimize Driver Distractions
Forklift drivers have a responsibility to keep themselves and their coworkers safe. However, they face many distractions in the workplace that could lead to accidents. These distractions include everything from other workers to things on the floor or even just a conversation with another driver.
One of the most common causes of forklift accidents is when the driver turns his head away from the front of his vehicle for too long while driving at low speeds (less than three miles per hour). The temptation then becomes too great for some drivers and they turn back around only to see there’s an obstacle right in front of them – usually someone standing directly in front of them!
Install the Backbone for Added Safety
The Backbone is essentially an underride crash guard. It has a revolutionary design that addresses the hazard of standup forklift underride. Underride occurs when an intruding rack cross beam flattens out against the operator cabin or mast causing crushing injuries and death often seen in warehouse and factory work settings where there’s little room to move around easily while working on machines with high heights above your head.
By investing in The Backbone, you aren’t just investing in your business, but also the health and safety of your forklift drivers and other employees.
Assess the Workplace for Potential Hazards
Workplace safety is something that most businesses pride themselves on. However, the reality is that there are probably some things that can be done to minimize hazards for forklifts. It’s important to assess the work area to take into account anything that could make it more dangerous for a forklift to maneuver. Below are some of the things you can do:
- Keep the area well-lit. This will help the forklift driver see any potential obstacles in the path.
- Keep obstacles visible by using reflectors and/or paint
- Make sure obstacles are far enough away from each other. This will give the forklift driver enough time to slow down and stop if necessary
- Place obstacles in a way that they cannot be easily moved. If an obstacle can be easily moved, it increases the chances that the forklift will hit it.
- Do not put anything in the path of a moving forklift: This includes people, animals, and other objects.
- Make sure the driver has a clear view of the path ahead: If the driver cannot see the path ahead, it increases the chances of an accident.
Ensure Employees Stay up to Date on Forklift Safety Information
In order to keep your employees safe, it is important to ensure that they are kept up to date on forklift safety information.
One way to do this is by holding regular safety meetings. During these meetings, you can review the latest forklift safety guidelines, as well as discuss any recent incidents or close calls. This will help ensure that everyone is aware of the potential hazards, and knows how to stay safe while working with forklifts.
Another way to keep employees up to date on forklift safety information is by providing regular training updates. You can send out memos or emails with links to short videos or articles that discuss new safety guidelines. This will help employees stay up to date on the latest safety information, and ensure that they are taking the necessary precautions while working with forklifts.
Underride Accidents Don’t Have to Happen
Forklift safety is a key element for all warehousing and manufacturing businesses. At Lakeport Metalcraft Inc. we are committed to lowering underride crash statistics. Contact us today to learn more about The Backbone and how it can help your business.
