Overview of Risks & Hazards

Approximately 100 forklift-caused fatalities occur every year. Thousands of injuries also occur, many of them serious. Common forklift accidents include hitting a pedestrian or adjacent structure; tipping over; crushing hands and feet; striking a person on a ladder or other structure, causing them to fall or otherwise be injured; and striking materials that fall and injure the driver or others.

Risks fall into two general categories: operator risks and work environment risks.

Operator Risks

Operators should never take risks in forklifts. To avoid risks, operators must be able to name what the risks are. Most risks involve load and vehicle stability, which are not necessarily the same thing. Even an unloaded PIT is prone to tip over when turning or when traveling on grades or over unstable terrain. Operators must understand how and why the following risks occur and how to reduce or omit them:

• Load instability
• Vehicle instability
• Excess load capacity
• High speed
• Unstable turning
• Poor visibility

Work Environment Risks

In addition to understanding the risks of the vehicle itself, operators must understand how the forklift interacts with its environment, including the layout of the facility, facility rules of operation, pedestrian safety measures, and how to communicate with others while operating a forklift. Common risks in all work environments include the following:

• Pedestrians, including follow employees and visitors
• Blind spots
• Obstacles
• Space limitations
• Docks and trailers
• Floors and surfaces

To learn more about Forklift Safety visit our Forklift Safety Online Training web page.