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SAFETY MOMENT, NOVEMBER 11

Know your load and your capacity

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Safety moment, November 11

Know your load and your capacity

A forklift is heavy, it handles very differently from a car, and its load can block the driver's view. A load dropped from height can crush anything below it. Operators and people on foot share the same aisles, docks and yards, so both sides need to know the rules.

SAFETY MOMENT

November 11

The hazard

A forklift is heavy, it handles very differently from a car, and its load can block the driver's view. A load dropped from height can crush anything below it. Operators and people on foot share the same aisles, docks and yards, so both sides need to know the rules.

The action

Only handle loads within the rated capacity of the truck. Read the data plate, and remember that attachments and lift height can change what the truck can safely carry. Put the forks as far under the load as you can and tilt the mast back to steady it. Restack loose or unstable loads before you lift, and take extra care with off-center loads that cannot be centered. (29 CFR 1910.178(o)(2))

ASK THE CREW

How do you find out what a load weighs before you lift it?

From the talk: Forklift safety. Read it in full, free, with the questions and the sign-in sheet.

HOW TO USE IT

How to give a safety moment

  1. Gather the crew where they work, before the shift or the meeting starts. Read the hazard out loud.
  2. Ask the question and let two or three people answer. What they say about their own work counts for more than what you read.
  3. Name the action and point to one place on today's job where it applies, so everyone knows what to do differently.
  4. Write the date and the names on a sign-in sheet.

A safety moment is short and does not replace the full talk. When you want to go through a topic with the crew, pick a free toolbox talk.

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