Must Read Tips & Tricks From Our Forklift Experts

A forklift is ideal for the warehouse environment, and has been designed specifically for the tight corners, safety concerns and convenience needs of a busy warehouse. You don’t need a forklift licence because no such licence exists. You Just need to be forklift certified which we have explained in our previous blog. However, it always helps to be trained in advance of applying for a job, because this means your employer doesn’t need to arrange training for you. Being able to say you’ve trained on a forklift already is the equivalent to telling your employer that you have a licence, and this makes you a highly desirable candidate.

Basic Safety Tips For Forklift Drivers

If you are driving a forklift for the first time here are some safety tips from our forklift experts:

• Always make a note of any hazards around you before you get on your forklift
• Never operate a forklift if you have wet or greasy hands as this could lead to losing control of your steering
• The same goes for your shoes, always ensure you have dry shoes before driving
• Use your handholds and footholds when getting on or off
• Know how to take extra care in bad weather if you need to take your forklift outside
• Look out for pedestrians and be prepared to stop suddenly as you never know when other people may appear
• Don’t drive your forklift up to anyone who is stood in front of an obstacle like a large object or a wall
• When carrying a load, always drive backwards
• Slow down as you encounter obstacles to your vision like doors or corners
• Learn the turning radius of your particular forklift
• Check all around the forklift for obstacles at all times
• Park only in proper and approved locations
• Ensure your forks are lowered, your brakes are on and your controls in neutral before you dismount

The Dangers To Look Out While Driving A Forklift

Without the proper training, there are many dangers of using a forklift, both in the warehouse environment and elsewhere. You pose a danger to yourself and to others if you’re not trained before you take to a forklift. For example, you need to know how to safely navigate obstacles in an often tightly-packed warehouse, where visibility may be low due to high shelving, boxes and HGVs. Knowing how to steer properly around these obstacles, how to brake properly and quickly, and how to avoid knocking anything over is key if you’re going to be safe on the job.

Secondly, you need to know exactly how to load and unload cargo properly, without causing any damage to the forklift, to the HGV, to the shelving or storage, and to yourself and anyone else who might be nearby. Not doing this properly can result in damage to equipment and injuries to others.

The warehouse being so busy and hectic, knowing how to operate a forklift safely can prevent accidents that might result from people rushing around without you taking their movements into consideration, and other accidents caused by failing to properly assess and respond to your working environment.

How Is A Forklift Different From Driving Any Other Vehicle?

Driving a forklift is completely different from driving any other kind of vehicle, for three major key reasons.

Firstly, you’ll be carrying a load in front of you a lot of the time, so will need to learn to drive in reverse a great deal and to navigate tight spaces while doing so.

Secondly, you’ll be carrying loads of different sizes and weights, and will need to learn to pick them up and put them down steadily and safely, as well as driving them around.

Thirdly, you’ll be operating in an environment which may be full of people walking around, large obstacles and other everyday hazards that could make your forklift extremely dangerous if not used properly.

Steering A Forklift

A forklift uses its rear wheels to steer, which means it’s completely different to driving most other vehicles. It’s also much heavier than other vehicles, such as a car, even though you may not expect this, so you need to take that into account when driving as it can’t stop or turn as suddenly as you think it might be able to.

A forklift also has a three-point suspension system, which means it handles differently to a car for example.  This results in the driver having to check that there’s enough room for the rear end of the forklift to swing out when taking a corner, because this is what will dictate whether the corner can be safely taken or not.

Reversing In A Forklift

Reversing in a forklift is necessary in a range of situations, including daily occurrences such as the load being very large and obscuring your forward view, and when driving down a ramp.

When you have to drive a forklift in reverse you need to do the following: –

• Face in the direction of travel
• Slow down
• Sound your horn to let people know you’re coming
• Stop as soon as you find that you can’t see properly

If you always remember these simple steps, you’ll be as safe driving backwards as you are driving forwards.

Loading And Unloading

Because loading and unloading heavy items is the main thing you’ll be doing with your forklift, this is a very important thing to get right every single time. Getting it wrong could mean injury to you and others, and damage to goods and to equipment.

If you follow these steps, you won’t go wrong: –

• Set your brakes
• Ensure the vehicle you’re unloading or loading isn’t going to move
• Check you’re at the right clearance height
• Check for any obstructions
• Check for slippery surfaces
• Make sure the floors can support the extra weight of the forklift
• Keep the forks down when travelling on a ramp with no load
• Keep forks up when travelling on a ramp with a load
• Drive slowly and carefully at all times

What Sort Of Wage Can I Expect?

Salaries for forklift drivers in the UK range from £14,000 to over £24,000 per year, and average at about £7.90 per hour.

How Long Does It Take To Get Your Forklift Licence?

We can train you to a great standard in just five days from scratch, or we can fast-track you if you if you have a little experience with our three-day course. If you just want a refresher, we can do a one-day course to suit your needs.

How Do I Qualify For Training?

You don’t need to have any experience at all to train to be a forklift driver, you just need to have five days to spare for our complete course if you’re starting from a position of having no experience at all.

How Much Does It Cost To Get Started?

Getting started is completely affordable, and you can start your career change now for just £9.99. Call our helpful Customer Service line to find out more about UK wide Forklift training courses and have a chat about your options on 08000315765 .