More than any other season, the Winter weather comes with a long list of potential hazards that need to be accounted for in order to ensure a safe workplace. Whether your operations take place in a completely enclosed warehouse or mostly occur outside there are several things you and your operators can do to keep everything safe and running smoothly all winterlong.
Forklift Safety Tip #1 – Equipment Inspection
The first thing you should do to ensure safe operations throughout the Winter is to inspect your equipment before Winter comes around. Checking for issues or any maintenance that needs to be done prior to the start of the season gives you more time to address them so all your equipment will be in good shape and ready to use when Winter hits.
Forklift Safety Tip #2 – Educate the Team on Winter Accident Prevention
Snow and ice are just two of the new hazards operators will have to deal with in the Winter and it’s important they be trained in how to operate a forklift in such adverse conditions. All operators should forklift certified already, but operating a forklift in the Winter requires a different set of skills. Not only will it be good to provide your staff a refresher of things gone over in general safety trainings, but getting your staff acquainted with what they need to do differently in the wintertime will likely prevent accidents from happening. You can contact us to learn more about the trainings and safety materials we can provide.
Forklift Safety Tip #3 – Allow the Forklift to Warm Up
When forklifts are first turned on in the Winter, operators shouldn’t immediately begin to go about their day before first giving the engine and hydraulics time to warm up. This will allow oil to circulate so hopefully no issues arise through a shift. After a shift operators should thoroughly check the forklift for any grit, ice melt, or snow that’s accumulated and clean it off.
Winter attachments should also be properly fitted onto the forklift before use. These attachments include front mounted sweepers, forklift snow ploughs, tire chains, snow shovels, snow socks, and more.
Get Your Team Forklift Certified Before Winter Hits!
To learn more about how you can keep your workplace safe this winter, contact Forklift Safety today or order a training kit for your team here!
