As we are coming into the winter months of the year, we thought it would be a great time to share with you our top tips for the best safety practise when using your forklift truck in the rain or snow! Safety is the main priority for anyone when operating a forklift truck and any bad weather could potentially throw some serious obstacles into the mix, so keep reading to find out some of our tips to combat this…
Our Top Tips For Safely Operating Your Forklift Truck This Winter
Check Your Forklift Truck
The first thing to take into consideration is to check to make sure that your forklift truck can actually be used in the wet weather. Some electric forklift trucks cannot be used in rain and snow, therefore it is always best to practise to check this first! It is also increasingly important to complete daily checks on your truck to determine whether or not it is okay to be used on that particular day. Sometimes the weather can affect the performance of your forklift, therefore if you check it every day you should never really run into any problems when it comes to completing a job.
Slow Down
Now, this may seem like an obvious one – but be sure to use your forklift truck cautiously at all times! Take extra care when manoeuvring your truck as the surfaces could be extra slippery and black ice could be present without you seeing it.
Stay Visible
Whether you’re operating a forklift truck inside or outside of a building, you must follow the safety regulations and rules set by your company – this would normally involve wearing visibility clothing for example. During winter this should be amplified! When it’s snowing or raining heavy you are at a greater risk of not being seen as clearly and if you’re not wearing hi-vis work attire then you could put yourself and your work colleagues in serious danger.
Dress Comfortably
Not only should you wear protective and reflective clothing – you should also wear comfortable, waterproof workwear when operating your truck outdoors. Especially when it’s raining or snowing, be sure to wear appropriate clothing such as waterproof jackets and trousers and non-slip / safety boots – these are a must! Ensuring that proper clothing is provided to your employees will increase productivity and allow your employees to remain safe in the workplace.
Make Sure Your Forklift Has Been Properly Serviced
Checking your forklift every day (as we mentioned above) is a must! But there is no point in checking your truck on a daily basis if the appropriate service hasn’t been carried out on it. Forklift servicing ensures that there comprehensive and thorough checks on your truck. At Permatt, within your Contract Cover, there is also the yearly ‘Thorough Examination’ included, which ensures that you have met the British Safety Law with your equipment. The team at Permatt are able to come and visit your workplace to carry out the inspection on your premises at any time during the working day! If your Forklift does happen to need extra care then we can happily provide a replacement truck for your company to use until we get your original up and running again.
Undergo Training
All staff should undergo the appropriate training to be able to operate a forklift truck in the first place – but they should also have the training to be able to use their truck outdoors as opposed to indoors. Operator Training is essential to comply with safe working practices and to make the most of your forklift truck. Here at Permatt, we are able to deliver complete training programmes to ensure that your drivers comply with the latest legislative requirements.
Where Can I get Forklift Truck Training?
Our forklift training courses can be carried out at our Permatt depot in Killingworth. Or if you would prefer one of our team members and course leaders to arrive at your work premises to carry out the training courses then we can also provide this service.
Contact The Team at Permatt!
If you have any questions for a member of our friendly team then simply get in touch today! We not only provide forklift maintenance programmes and forklift truck training in Newcastle but we also stock used and new forklift trucks – be sure to take a look at our website to see our full range of services available and if you have any questions fill out the contact form on our website and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
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