NATIONAL FORKLIFT
SAFETY DAY
in good condition. Check cylinders for rust, dents,
and gouges. Use your senses of smell, hearing,
and sight to check for leaks in the cylinder.
Cylinders that show signs of wear or leaks should
not be used and may need to be replaced even if
within the cylinder’s requalification date.
3. Stop the forklift before raising or lowering
the forks. Ensuring the forklift is stopped before
moving the forks can greatly reduce the risk of
tipping the machine or dropping the load.
4. Set the parking brake, lower the forks, and
set controls to neutral when finished. Safely
parked forklifts reduce the danger of unintended
movement when a forklift is left
unattended. If a forklift is parked on
an incline, the machine can be further
secured with wheel blocks.
5. Store propane cylinders in
a secure rack or cage. A propane
cylinder storage rack or cage should
be located away from exits, stairways,
entryways, or high-traffic areas. Forklift
cylinders can be stored horizontally
with the pressure-relief valves in the
uppermost position. Operators should
use proper lifting techniques when
removing cylinders from storage and
placing them onto a forklift.
6. Close service valves on propane
cylinders when not in use. This helps
prevent unintended fuel loss and
potential injury around internal-combustion
engines.
7. Keep loads within the weight capacity of the
forklift. Overloading a forklift can greatly increase
the risk of tipping the machine by unbalancing the
forklift’s center of gravity.
8. Use caution on grades or ramps. Operators
should use slow speeds for both ascending and
descending, and avoid lifting pallets or loads
higher than is needed to clear the road surface.
For grades greater than 10 percent, forklifts
both ascending and descending should be driven
with the load upgrade. Forks should be pointed
downgrade when there is no load regardless of
the direction of travel.
9. Ensure the pressure-relief valve on the
propane cylinder is secure and points away from
the locating pin. Check that the pressure-relief
valve fitting is approximately 180 degrees from
the forklift’s locating pin.
10. Slow down and sound the horn at locations
where vision is obstructed. Forklift operators
should always look in the direction of travel and
should travel in reverse if loads are large enough
to obscure their view. Warehouse managers can
have spotters located at corners to reduce the
risk of collisions with people and other forklifts.
Concave mirrors can also be used to aid in
visibility around corners or at aisles. Always
consider the noise level as well, as pedestrians or
other operators may not be able to hear a horn.
Don’t let safety measures take a back seat
to meeting the needs of a busy warehouse or
distribution center. Keeping safety top of mind for
operators and managers can be key in keeping
business moving forward.
But the good news is that facilities using
propane forklifts have a safety resource already
at their fingertips in their propane supplier, who
can help ensure safety across a facility’s forklift
fleet and refueling setup throughout the life of the
equipment or whenever questions arise.
To find out more about the benefits of propane-powered forklifts, visit propane.com. ;
Jeremy Wishart is director of off-road business
development for the Propane Education & Research
Council. He can be reached at jeremy.wishart@
propane.com.
