First published in Croner's Industrial Health and Safety
FORK-LIFT TRUCKS
This article was written prior to the introduction of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER 98) and the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), both of which have requirements that apply to fork-lift trucks. Therefore both PUWER 98 and LOLER need to be read in conjunction with the points contained below.
Fork-Lift Truck Safety
Beginnings
A fork-type truck was first invented in Britain, early in the 1900s, for use in the tinplate industry in South Wales. However; as is usual with British inventions, its full potential as a free-moving piece of equipment capable of handling a wide range of loads was recognised elsewhere - in this case in America. The American armed forces then brought the idea of the use of large numbers of fork lift trucks for handling stores back to Britain during the last war. The demand created led to the Government encouraging the manufacture of trucks in Britain following the end of hostilities. The fork lift truck has rapidly grown in popularity and can be found in daily use in a wide range of industries.
Types of FLT
Fork lift trucks come in a wide range of varieties. Common examples being: counterbalance, pallet-stacking, reach, sideloader, telescopic, pedestrian and straddle carrier. The main safety problems being common to each type along with additional problems specific to the particular truck.
Counterbalance
The usual type of FLT
where the load is carried
and lifted on forks mounted
in a carriage which runs
up and down a mast mounted
at the front of the truck.
A heavy counterbalance weight
behind the driver prevents the
truck from toppling forward
when a load is picked up
by the forks.
Pallet-stacking
Legs or outriggers protrude
forward, carrying the leading
wheels, extending beyond the
centre of gravity of the load.
This avoids the need to provide
a counterbalancing weight.
Reach truck
These usually come in three
main types: reaching-mast,
reaching fork and reaching
carriage. Reaching-mast trucks
are designed so that the whole
of the mast unit moves forward
on rollers. With the carriage
at its lowest, the forks reach
to floor level. This allows a
load to be lifted from the floor
and to be drawn back over the
legs for transport. The result
is a more compact truck than
the counterbalance which can
be used in narrower gangways.
The reaching-fork truck is
similar except that the mast
is fixed and the forks are
carried forward. While the
reaching-carriage truck adopts
a scissor type carriage allowing
the front plate of the carriage
to move forward while the mast
stays still. This allows
sufficient reach to load a
lorry fully from one side.
Sideloader
A mast and fork unit built in
the centre of a vehicle moves
transversely across the chassis
allowing the forks to lower to
floor level to one side of the
chassis frame. This is particularly useful for carrying
long loads.
Telescopic
Fitted with a boom that pivots
at the rear of the vehicle. The
boom being raised and lowered
hydraulically. The boom can
also be telescoped to give
extra reach and height.
Pedestrian
The operator walks beside
the machine and controls
it with a handle. Can be
electrically powered or
manually operated. Has a
limited lift height.
Straddle carrier
The carrier straddles and lifts
the load by an arrangement comprising of two masts
which carry the lifting
forks suspended from the chassis.
Accidents
According to the Health and Safety Executive, 112 people were killed between 1986 and 1991 in accidents involving lift trucks. It is further estimated that of the approximately 20,000 reportable injuries per year involving transport at work, roughly a third relate to lift trucks. HSE claim that the following are the main reasons for such accidents:
o Lack of operator training
o Inadequate premises
o Poor maintenance.
HSE add that all of the above causes can be avoided by effective control of the use of fork lift trucks. Management is responsible to assess operations utilising fork lift trucks, within their general risk assessment programme required under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992, and to introduce safe systems of work that eliminate or reduce the risks.
Safe Working
The Health and Safety Executive Guidance material Safe Working with Lift Trucks ((HS(G)6) available from HSE Books price £4.25) outlines the type of safe system of work that should be adopted. It should include procedures for:
o Operator training
o Traffic and pedestrian movements
o Control and maintenance of equipment.
It is also suggested that the systems are regularly reviewed and updated, that they should form part of management's overall safety policy, that managers and supervisors be trained in the basic principles relating to safe operation of the equipment in order that they can identify any inadequacies.
The Guidance material covers the following main topics: lift truck operators and training (which we shall look at in Part 2), layout and maintenance of areas, protection of personnel, the lift truck and its operation and maintenance. The key points can be illustrated as shown below:
Areas
Roads, gangways and aisles should
have sufficient width and overhead
clearance. Attention should be paid
to reducing risks where lift trucks
meet other traffic. Road humps should
be avoided as they cause instability
of lift trucks. One-way traffic
systems should be considered.
Pedestrians, wherever possible,
should be prohibited from entering
areas where lift trucks are operating.
Clear direction signs and markings
should be erected. Sharp bends and
overhead obstructions should, where
possible, be eliminated. Where risks
cannot be removed, barriers clearly
marked with black and yellow stripes
should be used. Failing this; signs,
warning devices and mirrors should be
used. Flexible doors of transparent or
translucent material may reduce risks
where vehicles pass through. Where
surfaces are rough or uneven, then
rough terrain trucks will be required.
Gradients should be as gentle as
possible and trucks should not move
across them unless designed to do so.
Roadways should be adequately lit,
particularly at road junctions, rail
crossings, near buildings and plant,
near pedestrian areas, where there is
regular movement of vehicles and in the
area immediately inside a building where
vehicles pass from the bright sunlight
outside. Trucks should be parked in a
secure compound in a supervised area.
Personnel
Segregation of pedestrians from vehicle
routes through physical barriers where
possible, where not possible the
pedestrian routes should be clearly
marked. Provision, where possible, of
separate means of access or egress or
use of audible or visible warning
devices. (Although it should be
remembered that flashing beacons can
trigger epileptic fits and that
audible warnings will increase the
overall noise level!) High visibility
clothing and head protection may be
required to be worn.
Truck
These can become unstable if the load
is too heavy, incorrectly placed on the
forks or if the truck is accelerated
or braked harshly. Lift trucks are
also vulnerable when turning at speed
or when tilted sideways while travelling
across an incline. They are also
vulnerable while travelling across
uneven surfaces, pot-holes and
obstructions. The danger of turning
over being increased if the load is in
the raised position. Lift trucks should
not be loaded beyond their safe
capacity which is shown on the
capacity data plate affixed to them.
Maintenance
Operators should check, the following
at the start of each shift: tyre pressure,
brakes, steering gear, audible warning,
lights, fuel, water, oil, battery, and
lifting mechanisms. After approximately
50 hours running time the truck should
be checked by an authorised person. A
written report should be made and kept
until the next six-monthly examination.
Key Points
The following is a summary of the main hazards and precautions relating to fork lift truck operation:
Hazards
o Overturning due to speed, slopes
or travelling with load raised
o Loss of load due to instability,
not being secured, overloading
or poor pallets
o Collapse of racking due to
overload
o Failure due to poor maintenance
o Collisions due to poor visibility,
speeding or poor driving
o Carrying a load which obscures
the driver's vision
o Carrying passengers
o Misuse of the vehicle as a
working platform or crane
o Fire or explosion due to
refuelling or recharging batteries.
Precautions
o Operator training
o Regular maintenance
o Checks on pallet condition
o Layout of area and road / floor
condition
o Refuelling and recharging areas
to be well ventilated and with
good levels of housekeeping
o Segregation of pedestrians from
vehicles
o Warning lamps and horns to be
fitted
o Cage to be fitted to protect
driver from falling material
o Mirrors to be located at blind
corners.
Safety Training
Lack of operator training is identified by the Health and Safety Executive, in Safety in Working with Lift Trucks (HS(G)6) as being one of the main causes of accidents involving lift trucks. This is surprising given that an Approved Code of Practice, Rider Operated Lift Trucks - Operator Training (COP 26), specifically applies. In addition, there are requirements relating to the medical condition and general suitability of operators.
According to HSE Guidance, no-one should be permitted to operate lift trucks unless they have been selected, trained and authorised to do so. The role of the ACOP being to provide practical information in relation to compliance with Section 2(2)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Whereas the Act requires employees to receive adequate training, the ACOP specifies what training will be deemed to be adequate for a lift truck operator. It should be remembered however, that the ACOP specifically covers the training requirements relating to: counterbalance trucks, reach trucks, rough terrain counterbalance trucks and telescopic materials handlers. Although similar training requirements will apply to other types of lift truck, there may be important differences to consider. Therefore; when designing a suitable operator training course, it is important to identify the types of vehicles that they will be handling. In addition, it should be borne in mind that some industry-specific legislation contains additional requirements with regard to operator training.
The HSE stress, in Safety in Working with Lift Trucks, that: "Employers should select people who have shown themselves to have a reliable and mature attitude to their work, and who have the ability to do the job in a responsible manner. The safe control and operation of lift trucks calls for a reasonable degree of both physical and mental fitness, and of intelligence. However, people with handicaps or disabilities need not necessarily be excluded .... and medical advice should be obtained about their suitability for the particular duties that will be required of them". From a practical viewpoint, it would be prudent to apply a selection test to prospective operators to filter out those who may be unsuitable before costly training has taken place. Part of this selection test may involve medical screening.
Medically Fit
Those selected to operate lift trucks must be free from physical defects that might pose a threat to their own health and safety or to the safety of others. It is prudent for operators and potential operators to be medically screened before employment and at regular intervals during their middle age. (HSE recommends examination at the age of 40 and at 5 year intervals up to the age of 65. With those aged over 65 being screened annually.) It also makes sound sense to examine operators after an accident or after they have been on sickness leave lasting for more than a month. Where an operator is taking prescribed drugs, it needs to be established what, if any, affect these will have upon performance.
HSE suggest the following points be considered:
General
Operators should have full
movement of the trunk, neck
and limbs and be capable of
normal agility. They should
also have a stable disposition.
Those dependant on alcohol or
non-prescribed drugs should
not be employed.
Vision
Good judgement of space and
distance is required. If vision
is corrected by glasses, these
must be worn.
Hearing
The ability to hear instructions
and warning signals is important.
Epilepsy
Should not debar an individual
if they are eligible for an
ordinary driving licence through
having had no waking seizures
for 2 years. Any recurrence
must be reassessed medically.
More details concerning medical standards for lift truck operators are contained in Appendix 5 to Safety in Working with Lift Trucks, the standards being derived from those for ordinary driving licence holders given in Medical Aspects of Fitness to Drive: A Guide for Medical Practitioners (Editor Andrew Raffle, The Medical Commission on Accident Prevention, 35-43 Lincolns Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PN). Topics covered in detail include: diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular conditions, vision, nervous system, epilepsy, hearing and mental disposition.
Training
Training in safety needs to be provided as an integral part of operator training. Records should be kept of all training given to individual operators, including any conversion and refresher training undertaken. Individual performance in associated tests should also be recorded. Supervisors and managers also need training, although perhaps not to the same level as operators, in order that they are aware of the risks involved in lift truck operation and of the necessary control measures.
Operator training should always include the following 3 stages:
Basic
Covers the basic skills
and knowledge required
to operate a lift truck
safely and efficiently.
Specific
Tailored to the employer's
specific needs. Including:
knowledge of the operating
principles and controls of
the vehicle to be used,
routine inspection and
servicing where they can
be reasonably carried out
by the operator, training
and practice in the use of
the vehicle in the conditions
that will be met and in the
work to be undertaken,
familiarisation with the
loads and materials normally
handled.
Familiarisation
Undertaken at the workplace
itself under supervision.
Covering: site layout, company
safety rules, emergency
procedures etc. Introduction
to any personal protective
equipment that needs to be
worn.
Operators who are recruited with experience of lift truck operations may require less training than those lacking such experience. However; an assessment will need to be made of their competence in order for their training needs to be identified. Those having experience on different types of lift trucks and handling attachments to those in use, will require conversion training before being able to operate the new vehicles and equipment. Where working practices change within an organisation, perhaps through different vehicles and attachments being utilised, then operators will need further specific job and familiarisation training. Where it is identified, perhaps through supervisors, risk assessments, audits, rising accident or near-miss records or inspections, that poor operating practices are taking place, refresher training will need to be considered.
HSE recommend that continuous assessment is made of a trainee's progress throughout training and that tests are made of individual skills that are learned. This approach needs to be supplemented with the requirement to pass skills and knowledge tests on the completion of basic and specific job training.
Authorisation
Only personnel given written authorisation should be allowed to operate lift trucks. The authorisation itself must be confined to the type of lift truck and work for which the operator, through experience and training, is deemed to be competent. The authorisation should also be for a specified period, with renewal dependant upon the employer being satisfied of the operator's continuing competence. Authorisation should also be dependant upon the operator following the laid down safe operating procedures.
Instructors and Training Areas
According to the ACOP, operator training should only be carried out by instructors who have themselves undergone appropriate training in instructional techniques and skills assessment. In addition, they should only instruct on the types of lift truck for which they have been trained, tested and certificated as operators. They should also have an adequate knowledge of the working environment in which the trainee will operate.
Basic training should be carried out off-the-job, either at the employer's premises or at a suitable training centre. The training itself needs to be largely practical in nature and of sufficient length to enable trainees to acquire the basic skills and knowledge required for safe operation.
Summary
The following approach should be adopted with regard to lift truck operators:
Select Suitable Staff
They need to be at
least 17 years old
(other requirements
apply in industry-
specific regulations),
medically fit and
with the right
disposition.
Identify Vehicles
Different types of lift
truck and attachments
will require additional
training.
Identify Work
The workplace environment,
materials to be handled
and work activities will
impose additional training
requirements.
Identify Training Needs
By matching the individuals
selected with the type of
vehicle, work activity and
workplace environment, a
training programme can be
developed in accordance
with the ACOP. Remember
that even experienced
operators may require
conversion training.
Provide Training
Either in-house or via
a training centre. Ensure
instructors are competent
and adequate facilities
are available. Training
should cover: basic
training, specific job
training and
familiarisation.
Keep Records
Record training undertaken
by individual operators
and certification awarded
along with continuous
assessment and test
results.
Provide Authorisation
Provide written
authorisation to those
allowed to operate
lift trucks.
Monitor Performance
Keep an eye on operating
procedures etc.
Refresher Training
Provide refresher training
as and when necessary.
Health Surveillance
Provide routine medical
checks for lift truck
operators, particularly
for those in middle age
and above.