Ever wonder what is used in industries like construction, agriculture, dockyards, and beach cleaning to load heavy materials or to work on uneven surfaces? Rough terrain forklifts are used in this industry to fulfill their duty properly. They are built with specialized tires, which makes them capable of loading heavy materials and driving across challenging areas. Class VII forklifts are specially constructed to work in the construction industries and have specialized qualities.
However, to use these terrain forklifts, one should be trained enough. In this training process, the OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration plays a huge role. It has made it obligatory for employees to get OSHA national safety training or to get forklift certification before operating them. This blog details the key aspects of terrain forklifts and safety tips to manage them without causing harm.
What should we know about Rough Terrains?
Rough terrain forklifts, also known as heavy-duty forklifts or all-terrain, it is specially constructed and built in a way to operate on construction sites to lift the bricks, steel, and timbers in agriculture and beach cleaning industries to ideally clean up the bridge. It works on a rocky path, uneven grounds, muddy stretches, and sandy fields. They are also used in shipyards to load or unload heavy shipping materials, and in other rural settings, forklifts are designed to work in these conditions effectively. Moreover, they can carry a weight of 55,000 pounds or more, and they can handle large and bulky materials as well. They tend to work in challenging environments.
However, there are a few types of rough terrain forklifts, as mentioned below,
Vertical Mast Forklifts:
They are built with stable features and designed to load heavy-weight materials, primarily operating in outdoor settings. It requires a certain amount of space to move in certain directions; thus, they are not able to work in tight quarters.
Variable Reach Forklifts:
They are built with telescopic booms that make them unable to move material at certain heights or distances. They are commonly used in masonry or roofing tasks.
Truck/Trailer Mounted Forklifts:
They are portable and can move easily from one site to another. They also facilitate quick methods to load and unload in remote areas.
Despite their helpful characteristics in rough terrain, forklifts are dangerous and thus require training and certification to operate. A total of 75 out of 100 workers' rollover accidents have been recorded in the stats, and 80% of pedestrian hazard accidents were also mentioned in the data. Thus, Osha has established standards for operating the forklifts effectively and safely.
Standards for rough terrain forklift operators;
Occupational Safety Health Administration OSHA placed rough terrain forklifts under class VII and made it obligatory to attain the certification for such operations, as per the record around 85 fatalities and more than 34 thousand injuries. To ensure the safety of the employees, it is critical to get the training. OSHA does the regulatory inspection and ensures that the operators have the standard license to operate the forklifts. Noncompliance may lead employees and industries to pay a penalty of $10,000, damaging their reputation as well.
Operators are obliged to complete the certification program and get the license; this takes just an hour to complete. Moreover, the license needs to be renewed every three years to ensure its validity. The pre-regular inspections are also done to keep the record and predict the hazards and prevent them from happening. If the company fails to meet these standards, it will risk its reputation and threaten the lives of its employees.
5 safety ways to operate forklifts:
Notably, there are various reasons to get the training before operating the forklifts. There are a few ways to operate them safely,
Route inspection
It is necessary to do a detailed inspection before starting the task. This is necessary for the following reasons: dips, trenches, and narrow aisles to protect themselves from getting caught in any hazardous situations. These practices are essential to reduce the risks of unexpected situations.
Drive Slowly
Another important factor is to focus on the driving speed of the forklift, as driving at a steady speed is essential to minimize the risk of tripping and maintain peace while driving on uneven terrains. As per the thumb rule, forklift speed is mentioned in the standard as not more than 5 mph to maintain steady peace and stability.
Proper loading
Overloading the forklifts is another main cause of accidents, such as tip-overs. Operators should be focused on loading the 55,000 pounds and placing them with the proper management, as this can also result in disbalance and fallover. While loading the weights, machine capacity should be considered as the main focus.
Maintain Visibility
To have a clear vision while operating the forklifts is also important. Thus, cleaning the windshield is necessary to create a clear vision, especially in foggy weather that can lead to road accidents.
Stay focus
Operators should be trained enough to avoid every distraction and maintain focus because minor disbalance and fault in handling the weight can cause greater harm.
Wrapping Up
Rough terrain forklifts are the main source of work in industries that need pure attention to deal properly. Operators are supposed to be trained and understand their unique design and features. They have to follow the OSHA regulatory standards to follow the safety rules and promote a healthy and risk-free environment for the workers.