Forklifts are one of the most important equipments for factories, warehouses, and large-scale retail stores. They help with critical day-to-day business operations such as lifting of heavy objects, and picking from and placing the inventory back on elevated shelves. For businesses that own these heavy machines, however, it’s extremely important to have trained operators to minimize the damage and risks associated with the use of forklifts.

Here are some reasons why forklift training is extremely important for forklift operators and safety of other workers.

It’s Difficult to Handle a Forklift Without Proper Training

Operating a forklift is no joke for several reasons;

  • They can have a weight of almost 9000 pounds, which is thrice the weight of a typical car!
  • They weigh more on the back end in order to balance the weight at the front. This uneven distribution makes it more challenging to handle a forklift.
  • They only have front brakes and no brakes at the rear end, which makes it difficult for the operators to stop them. It may result in collisions, damage to property and products, and severe injuries.
  • A forklift uses its rear wheels to turn, which increases the risk of overturning—which accounts for almost 24 percent of all forklift accidents.
  • They lift and carry objects at the front, which can hinder the view of operator and result in misjudgments, collisions, and accidents.

A forklift may be extremely important to carry out your business operations, but lack of training can turn them into a deadly workplace hazard.

Forklift Training Can Significantly Reduce Workplace Injuries and Fatalities

According to research, forklifts result in up to 85 fatalities, 34,900 cases of severe injuries, and 61,800 cases of minor injuries every year. While some employees believe that accidents are a part of operating forklifts, reality is quite the contrary as suggested by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration. OSHA has estimated that forklift-related incidents can be reduced to up to 70 percent if operators are provided with proper forklift training. The training shouldn’t just cover the basic operations and practicalities; it should be based on the layout of the workplace and nature of job.

Improved Operations and Productivity

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Forklift training isn’t only beneficial for the safety of your workers, but it’s also great for your business for the following reasons;

  • A properly trained forklift operator will be able to steadily perform all his tasks.
  • Operators will be more careful while handling products and other important inventory, reducing cost of inventory damages.
  • Training will enable forklift operators to better operate and maintain the machines. It will improve their life expectancy and reduce your costs of forklift repair and replacement.

If this has convinced you to take forklift operator training, sign up for our forklift training school in BC. Metro Safety Training would be happy to help you boost your workplace safety and productivity.

Call us at 604-521-4227to learn about our comprehensive range of workplace safety courses and first aid training in BC.