What goes for wolves goes for forklifts

Remember that story ‘bout the boy who cried wolf too much? Eventually he was ignored, and eventually a wolf DID come. It can be that way with lift truck alarms if you ain’t careful. I just saw a report from Hyster Company that evaluated its own accident reports. Turns out, lotsa people get hurt by lift trucks they’re not even drivin’. They’re just standin’ around where someone they’re workin’ with is drivin’ and they get clipped. Most of the time these lift trucks have audible and visible alarms, and they’re either not workin’ or people get so used to ‘em that they ignore ‘em.

The report says the following things also contribute to accidents:

• High noise levels in the workplace;

• Low light levels in the workplace;

• Number of lift trucks and pedestrians present;

• Level of lift truck operator training—and pedestrian training;

• No separate travel zones for pedestrians and lift trucks;

• Failure of operators to beep their horn at intersections or when changing directions;

• Lousy management enforcement of safe work procedures.

When it comes to audible and visible alarms, remember this stuff:

• Operators and pedestrians can get used to, and then ignore, these gadgets;

• Operators and pedestrians can depend on ‘em too much and not rely enough on their own senses;.

• Too many of these alarms in one place can get confusin’, irritatin’ and even tirin’ and then they get ignored;

• Train people so this stuff doesn’t happen.

When in doubt, check with OSHA. OSHA regulations require specialized training and regular re-training for lift truck operators and remedial training for operators involved in accidents or near accidents. OSHA says its requirements’ll prevent 11 deaths and 9,422 injuries a year.