Greetings Brothers and Sisters,
With a couple of changes at the Training Center recently, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Bill LaFlamme and wish him well in retirement. I would like to thank John Gaffny for his leadership and guidance during his time as Coordinator and wish him luck in returning to the field. I would also like to welcome the new Training Coordinator, Michael Carey, to the Engineers Training Center and I look forward to working with him.
The following is a reminder to operators on forklifts about the hazards involved during material handling and some solutions to reduce the hazards involved:
Forklifts
Hazard: Approximately 100 employees are fatally injured and approximately 95,000 employees are injured every year while operating powered industrial trucks. Forklift turnover accounts for a significant number of these fatalities.
Solutions:
- Train and certify all operators to ensure that they operate forklifts safely.
- Properly maintain haulage equipment, including tires.
- Do not modify or make attachments that affect the capacity and safe operation of the forklift without written approval from the forklift manufacturer.
- Examine forklift truck for defects before using.
- Follow safe operating procedures for picking up, moving, putting down, and stacking loads.
- Drive safely. Never exceed 5 mph and slow down in congested or slippery surface areas.
- Prohibit stunt driving and horseplay.
- Do not handle loads that are heavier than the capacity of the industrial truck.
- Remove unsafe or defective forklift trucks from service.
- Operators shall always wear seatbelts.
- Avoid traveling with elevated loads.
- Assure that rollover protective structure is in place.
- Make certain that the reverse signal alarm is operational and audible above the surrounding noise level.
Stay safe out there!
Source: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/construction/index.html
Peter Carpenter
Co-Safety Officer