NATIONAL FORKLIFT
SAFETY DAY
industry and is unique among forklift OEMs. Under this
“learn it, do it, use it” strategy, trainees first study how to
perform an assigned task through reading a module and/
or watching an instructional video. Next, they practice
performing the repair or the troubleshooting task in a
controlled environment. Finally, they prove to Crown’s
trainers that they can consistently perform the task
correctly. This has proved superior to lecture-based
training, he reports.
Fleet managers want to have the highest confidence
that their equipment is safe to operate in their particular
environment, so even with OEM-trained technicians, “I
Handling. Among the questions
he suggests asking are: “Do they
know the proper way to maintain
your equipment? Have they had any
specialized training? Are there any
unique requirements for servicing your
equipment? Will they be able to do this maintenance for
you so you have consistent reliability, good performance,
and long life for your equipment?”
MORE TIPS FOR SAFER TRUCKS
In addition to a rigorous inspection and maintenance
regimen and using factory-trained/certified technicians,
the experts we consulted also recommend the following
maintenance-related steps fleet managers can take to
improve safety:
Know when to take a truck out of service. To prevent
accidents and further damage to equipment and
loads, operators should be trained to recognize when
a maintenance-related problem is serious enough to
warrant action. There was unanimous agreement that an
operator should stop the truck immediately and report the
problem when he or she:
; Sees specified error and fault codes (determined by
the OEM or the employer) and/or warning lights;
; Detects a broken part or a nonfunctioning safety
accessory, such as a backup alarm or seatbelt;
; Sees something unusual, like leaking fluid, or hears an
unusual noise coming from the truck; or
; Notices any change in the truck’s performance or
behavior—whether during a pre-shift inspection or during
a shift.
Clark’s Nicolette was unequivocal: “CFR 29, Subpart
N, Section 1910.178, Paragraphs (p)( 1) and (q)( 1) tell you
that if a truck is in need of repair or is in any way unsafe,
it must be taken out of service until it’s been restored to
safe operating condition. And if anything is not working
properly on that truck, then it is unsafe and must be taken
out of service and parked, and not returned to service until
it has been restored to a safe operating condition, period.”
The operator is responsible for recognizing a problem
and taking action, whether that’s during the pre-operation
inspection or hours into a shift, says David Norton, vice
president, corporate quality and customer care, for The
Raymond Corp. Depending on their previous experience,
operators may not recognize some kinds of problems, he
says, and they should be taught how to do that as part of
their training. Toward that end, Raymond has been using
its virtual-reality simulator to help
operators experience and compare
what’s good condition and what’s
bad, and to learn when to take a
forklift out of service.
Toyota uses the phrase “Stop, Call,
and Wait” to encourage operators
to avoid taking chances. “Let’s be
careful, get the right people around any unusual situation,
and then make good decisions about what we should do
next,” Lego says. “What you want to avoid is someone
guessing whether the forklift is safe to operate.”
“The right people” usually include supervisors,
technicians, and engineers who are qualified to assess
the equipment. Things that are “clearly cosmetic in
nature”—a torn seat cover, for instance—and are not
going to adversely affect the safe performance of the
truck don’t necessarily require taking the truck out of
service, Matthews says. “But they ought to be reported as
soon as they’re noticed ... so they get on the scheduled
maintenance list and don’t wind up in failure later.”
Take advantage of technology. Telematics (the wireless
two-way communication of data and instructions between
the forklift and an information management system),
remote diagnostics, and electronic “brains” inside forklifts
have opened up new avenues for identifying maintenance-
related safety problems. Communication is faster and
easier than before. It’s now possible, for instance, to
automatically send an alert when a fault or failure has
occurred. Bruns cites the example of a service dispatch
app developed by Crown Equipment for iPhones and
Android phones that lets operators include the problem
description and their truck’s serial number in an electronic
“service required” message that is sent directly to the
servicing dealer.
Telematics systems can also be programmed to indicate
when a problem meets established criteria for shutting
Many people think scheduled
maintenance is mostly for
things like replacing filters
and oil, but that’s just a
small part of the story.
