Viral Forklift Video Shows How Easily Things Can Go Wrong

All of us enjoy watching a viral video of a colossal fail from time to time. However, being the subject of such a video is not necessarily any fun. Such was the case with a forklift driver who quickly discovered how easily things could go wrong. A co-worker recorded a video of his mishap, which then went viral. Whether or not the driver had a forklift certificate probably had no effect on the incident. It appeared to be just ‘one of those things’.

According to a story in The Mirror, the incident started when the forklift operator attempted to retrieve a pallet of beer at the top of a tall stack. His movement knocked over a couple of cases on top of the pallet, eventually causing the entire stack to lean. As he gingerly tried to manoeuvre the pallet down, a small amount of beer spilled to the floor below. In turn, that caused the next pallet in the stack to begin leaning.

At this point, the driver appeared to realise there was no way to undo what had been done. He then made two more moves to free his forklift from the beer stack, causing subsequent crashes of more product. By the time the incident was over two pallets of beer had been lost. Viewers are left pondering which was worse, the embarrassment of the driver or the fate of the beer.

The good news is that no one was hurt because of the incident. That is not always the case. Often forklift accidents result in injuries or deaths due to the risky nature of moving freight in this way. This driver and his co-workers were fortunate that the only damage done was to the pallets of beer. Things could have been much worse.

Training is So Important

We assume the forklift driver shown in the video had the proper training; perhaps he also had a forklift certificate from a qualified training company. The entire incident is further evidence of how important forklift training is. What starts out as a very small problem can quickly escalate into a dangerous incident with very little effort. Such is the nature of moving and stacking freight in a warehouse environment.

Currently, the law does not require a special licence to operate a forklift truck. More and more companies are requiring drivers to be trained and certified in order to be hired though. They are doing so as a matter of limiting their liability while also protecting their workers and property. If you intend to look for work as a forklift driver, we encourage you to contact us for training first.

The HGV Training Centre offers forklift truck training for both individuals and companies drivers. Upon completion of our training, each student receives a forklift certificate that demonstrates competency. All classes are affordable, convenient and scheduled on a regular basis, so don’t wait to call. You can begin training right away.

Sources:

The Mirror – https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/watch-calamitous-moment-forklift-driver-5310628