Fork Truck Safety

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Fork Truck Safety
Bill Hunt, FR West Valley Demonstration
Project William.H.Hunt_at_wv.doe.gov 716-942-4688
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NATIONAL FATALITY DATA

• gt100 Workers die operating fork trucks annually
• gt20,000 Operators are seriously injured
• The 3 most common forklift fatalities
• Fork truck overturns
• Workers struck by fork trucks
• Workers falling from fork trucks

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FORK TRUCK/ROLLING STOCK EVENTS

• WVDP 10 events since August 2006
• INEL 26 events since October 2005
• ORPS reported 181 since 1991(12 events /year)
• SELLS reported 92 since 1996 (10 events/year)
• WVDP INEL conducted a benchmarking fork truck
  safety workshop in March 2007

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WVDP-INEL EVENT CAUSES

• Human performance errors
• Poor communication between operators and
  spotters
• Managers and supervisors inconsistently
  mentoring and reinforcing requirements
• Refresher training inconsistent
• Lessons learned inconsistently communicated

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DOE EVENTS

• Fork trucks hitting Personnel, buildings,
  columns, vehicles, trailers, sample well, light
  poles, bollards, electrical conduits panels,
  waste drums/boxes, overhead wires, doors, gas
  and steam pipes, obstructions
• Fork trucks dropping loads
• Fork trucks capacity exceeded
• Fork trucks tipping over

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FORKTRUCK OPERATIONS GOVERNED BY

• DOE Hoisting Rigging ManualChapter 10
• OSHA 1910.178 Powered Industrial Trucks
• ANSI
• NIOSH

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FOUNDATION OF SAFE PROGRAM

• Operator Training Program
• Spotter Training Program
• Refresher Training
• Equipment Maintenance
• Sharing Lessons Learned
• Management and Supervisory involvement

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FOUNDATION OF SAFE PROGRAM

• Some OSHA Requirements
• Forks shall not be raised or lowered while
  vehicle is in motion
• Operate at speed that permits vehicle to be
  safely stopped
• No unauthorized passengers are permitted to ride
  on the forklift
• Forklift must be compatible with facility
  conditions
• Operators must be initially trained/qualified
• Refresher training required after accident, near
  miss, or evaluation
• Operators evaluated every 3 years
• Operators to slow down and sound horn where
  vision is obstructed
• If vision is obstructed, operator will travel
  with load trailing
• Ascending grades gt10 travel with load up grade
• Fork trucks must be maintained in a safe
  operating condition
• Understand fork truck capacity
• Maintain good vision of area
• Be aware of surrounding objects, people, and
  vehicles

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FOUNDATION OF SAFE PROGRAM

• ANSI
• Operator should use extreme caution on grades,
  ramps, or inclines
• Operator should travel straight up and down
  inclines
• Operator of sit-down type fork lift should stay
  with the truck if tip over occurs

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FOUNDATION OF SAFE PROGRAM

• NIOSH
• Do not operate vehicle unless trained
• Use seatbelts
• Do not jump from an overturning, sit-down type
  forklift
• Use extreme caution on inclines and ramps. Do
  not turn on inclines
• Slow down and sound horn at cross aisles or where
  vision obstructed

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OPERATOR TRAINING

• Design and safety features
• Safe operating principles
• Practical instruction
• Refresher training
• Re-evaluation every 3 years

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SPOTTERS RESPONSIBILES

• Spotter controls other vehicles and pedestrians
  (operating envelope)
• Maintains communications with operator at all
  times
• Warns operator of hazards and communicates
  load/tine placement
• Stops operator as necessary to maintain safe
  operations

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FORKTRUCK OPERATION

• Annual safety inspection
• Pre-operational checkout
• Operators manual
• Load capacity (chart)
• Towing capacity
• Height and width clearance

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TASK READY OPERATION

• Supervisory-job overview
• Equipment selection
• Movement to and from specific locations
• Movement notification
• Weight, hazards (MSDS)
• Load center of gravity
• Load securing method
• Spotter requirement determination
• Facilities management coordination

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Improved initial and refresher training for
  operators and spotters
• Consistently require refresher training
• Consistently communicate lessons learned
• Managers and supervisors consistently mentor and
  reinforce expectations and requirements
• Designate separate pedestrian walkways and limit
  traffic in fork truck operating areas
• Spotters to wear high reflective safety vests
• Increase supervisor and management time in field
• Hold ALL personnel accountable
• Establish a monthly team meeting of operators,
  spotters, supervisors, and management to provide
  fork truck safety recommendations

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WVDP MANAGEMENT EXPECTATIONS

• Safe operations before production
• Stop work for changing or unexpected conditions
  and/or safety concerns
• Managers and supervisors communicate expectations
• Managers and supervisors need to reinforce
  requirements and mentor
• Procedures and requirements must be followed
• Lessons Learned need to be captured and
  communicated