Toolbox talk, Equipment, about 8 minutes
Forklift safety
Date
Site or job
Led by
Why this one
A forklift is heavy, it steers from the back and it moves in places where people are walking. Most trouble comes from a rushed pre-use check, a load carried too high or a pedestrian nobody saw.
Say this
- 1.Only trained and authorized operators drive. If you haven't been signed off on this truck, you don't take it, even for a minute.
- 2.Do the pre-use check every shift. Forks, chains, tires, horn, lights, brakes, steering and leaks. Tag out a truck that fails and report it.
- 3.Carry the load low and tilted back, per the maker's manual. Know the truck's rated capacity from its data plate.
- 4.Slow down at corners, doors and aisle ends. Sound the horn. Look the way you're going, including when you reverse.
- 5.Eye contact with a pedestrian before you move. If you can't see them, stop and wait for them to clear.
- 6.Wear your seat belt if the truck has one. If it tips, stay in the seat and don't jump.
- 7.When you park, lower the forks to the floor, neutralize the controls, set the brake and shut it off per the manual.
Ask the crew
- – Where on this site is it hardest to see a person walking when you're on a truck?
- – What's the one thing on a pre-use check that gets skipped when we're behind?
- – How do we want pedestrians to act around trucks, and how do we want drivers to act around them?
Watch for today
- Loads carried high, or stacked so the driver can't see over them.
- People walking in truck lanes, or standing near a truck that's lifting.
- A truck with a failed check still in service, or keys left in an unattended truck.
Close with: Low load, slow turns, eyes up, horn on.
Notes and questions raised
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A starting point. Adapt it to your job, your procedures and the rules that apply to you. portalbaseai.com/toolbox-talks