Avoiding Forklift-Related Accidents at my Warehouse

For small businesses operating forklifts, warehouse safety is a major concern today. Despite about 100 forklift-related fatal accidents taking place every year in the US, little seems to have been done for securing safety at the workplace. In fact, forklifts account for a large number of casualties/deaths in warehouses, according to a Huffington Post article. Being a warehouse owner, hearing about a forklift accident in Illinois, where a forklift mishap injured a big-box retail facility worker permanently in 2015, worried me deeply.
Then in May 2017, one Alec Saunders, 27 died from blunt force injuries to his chest, after he was run over by a forklift that went out of control. 25% of all forklift-related fatalities are when the machines tip over. Two years back, I set about safeguarding my own organization, locating hazards, educating and training workers, and ensuring total safety with forklift operations. Here is what I did.
Common Forklift-Related Safety Issues
The OSHA pocket guide on warehouse safety holds the fatality rate for the warehouse industry to be higher than the national average. Over 1,45,000 workers are employed in over 7,000 warehouses across the U.S. I started by reading case studies of accidents and locating common issues faced by industrial forklift operators.
- OSHA guidelines stipulate that refresher training be imparted to forklift operators every three years, which is often not followed. In addition, new workers with prior experience should always be evaluated on skills and adherence with safety parameters.
- Visibility is another common cause behind forklift-related accidents. In the 2015 accident mentioned above, the forklift ran into the victim accidentally, most probably due to lack of proper visibility.
- Not wearing the seatbelt in case of a tipover can be fatal. Often, driving too fast, turning abruptly, and counterbalancing can cause the forklift to tip.
- Though we don’t operate outdoors, in cases where the forklift is used outdoors, mud, gravel, potholes, and snow can make braking difficult, which raises the risk of a tip over.
What are the Possible Solutions?
Hiring only trained operators is no more optional now, but that isn’t all. Evaluation of forklift operators after every three years, is recommended. At my warehouse, I started off by conducting routine checks before every round of operations. We always check whether brakes, controls, tires, and warning mechanisms are working properly.

Last year, I hired our very own forklift mechanic from Talent Plus Staffing, a consultant organization. This step has helped safeguard our warehouse even further, since we now have a trained professional to conduct inspection and keep a record of recurrent problems. Having a forklift mechanic also helps identify other hazards including lack of headroom in overhead installations and even minor instability in load arrangement.
Ensure that your operators wear safety clothing, with shoes, goggles, helmets, jackets et al. Buying the right kind of forklifts is also important. Taking little steps and following the procedure and safety advice go a long way in averting accidents.
