Forklifts are a common sight in many industries. Whether used in warehouses, manufacturing plants, retail applications, or elsewhere, forklifts are crucial tools in the daily operations and supply chains of most businesses. Because of this frequent level of use, many operators and nearby pedestrians can become complacent regarding safety protocols. This complacency can have many ill effects, including asset damage, employee discipline, fines, injury, and even death.
According to the Operational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an average of 100 employees are killed each year in forklift accidents, and as many as 95,000 total forklift accidents occur on an annual basis. In many cases, these accidents are avoidable. While Toyota forklifts are carefully manufactured with safety top-of-mind, safety protocols must be followed correctly for operators and pedestrians to be protected.
Beyond behavioural causation, injuries and fatalities also stem from detectable equipment failure when employees do not properly inspect and assess equipment before use. Safety regulators, forklift manufacturers, and many companies encourage that forklifts be inspected before operating, but these inspections are often neglected or poorly documented. Safety is an obvious reason that these inspections should be conducted regularly, and so is compliance—thousands of dollars in fines could be levied based on failure to determine forklift safety prior to operation.
In addition to the safety and compliance related aspects of regular forklift inspections, there is also a cost-savings component related to the proactive discovery of issues and predictive maintenance. Discovering problems, or festering problems, sooner helps limit and plan downtime and can be an easier, less expensive repair than a full-blown issue.