FORKLIFT SAFETY :

Mechanic suffers injury while replacing end rollers In replacing the end rollers on a lift truck, the lift cylinder was detached at the connecting part and the inner mast was being listed up with a crane. A mechanic was holding the tip of the lift cylinder with his right hand so that it would not fall off forward. Then the inner mast suddenly dropped instead of rising for some unknown reason. The mechanic got caught his right hand between the lift cylinder tip and the inner mast. He suffered an injury at the hand..

Corrective Action 1. In work using a crane, check the slinging wire and the slinging condition for any abnormality prior to starting lifting up. 2. Start lifting up only after confirming a signal from a signalman.

Fork falls when replacing chain, injuring mechanic's foot. In the mast chain replacement work, a mechanic put himself in between the mast and the operator's platform to inspect the upper part of the mast. But he lost his balance and unwittingly grabbed the fork control lever, trying to support him. The fork was actuated and went down all of sudden. He got his right foot pinched and injured.

Corrective Action 1. Provide for a scaffold that enables a mechanic to do the work, taking a stable and safe posture. 2. When inspecting lift trucks, be sure to stop the engine first.

echanic's feet injured by falling fork in checking electrical system. While a mechanic was checking the electrical system near the operator's seat in a lift truck, his sleeve got caught with the fork control lever and jerked it. The fork was activated and went down all of sudden. He got both insteps of his feet crushed by the falling fork. .

Corrective Action 1. Wear clothing suitable for the safety work. 2. Check the power train only after stopping the engine. 3. Lower the fork to the ground before starting with the work.

Mechanic lets hose reel fall, hitting fellow mechanic below. Mechanic A let fall the hose reel for the hinged fork by mistake, when he removed it for repair. It landed on the head of Mechanic B, who happened to be just below, engaged in overhauling the brake system. The reel hit the left side of his head, causing a deep cut. .

Corrective Action 1. Take precautions to ward off fall of parts before starting with the work.. 2. In work of pair or more, determine signals beforehand and make a start on the actual work only after confirmation.

Spurted-out oil lets fork fall, seriously injuring mechanic In course of inspecting a lift truck, a mechanic tried to loosen a plug on the gauge board in order to measure the set hydraulic oil pressure for the work equipment. The fork was kept in a raised position during the work. The moment he loosened the plug, hydraulic oil spurted out and the fork went down almost simultaneously. The mechanic was crushed under the dropped fork and seriously injured.

Corrective Action 1. If it is required to do the work with a fork lifted up, be sure to use a pillar or block to support the fork for safety. 2. In servicing hydraulic systems, be familiar with the mechanism, review the work process and confirm safety in the work before starting the actual work.

Backrest guillotines operator while repairing pinched chain The chain got caught in between the chain wheel and the mast, disabling the fork to go up and down. While a mechanic was fixing the trouble, an operator wanted to see how the repair work was going on and stuck his head through an opening of the backrest. Right at that moment the pinched chain returned to normality. The operator got his head caught between the cylinder and the backrest and was seriously injured.

Corrective Action 1. If repair work is to be done with parts or component that may accidentally fall off, support it with a pillar or block to prevent the danger. 2. Do not allow any third person to get in a workplace involving danger.

Slipped-up jack drops lift truck on mechanic, injuring him seriously A mechanic put a lift truck on supporting frames and tried to get under the chassis in an effort to check the brushes of the electric motor. But he found the chassis height was a bit too low for him to creep in, so he lifted it up further and started the work. Then the jack slipped up all of sudden and fell off on him. He was seriously injured.

Corrective Action 1. Prepare for supporting frames of appropriate height. 2. Do not forget to support a lifted machine with steadfast frames, after it has been jacked up. 3. Apply chocks so that a machine will not move back and forth. 4. Appoint a work conductor for such work involving danger.

Lowering inner mast catches mechanic's foot. A mechanic was measuring the hydraulic oil pressure of the lift cylinder on his own. He put his left foot on a lateral bar connecting the mast pillars, while working on a hydraulic valve. Then the mast slid down all of sudden and pinched his left foot.

Corrective Action 1. Do not stick part of the body in moving parts of the machine, nor step on them. 2. When taking measurements with moving parts, appoint a measurer and operator independently. If the two parties are wide apart from each other, appoint a signalman separately and let them follow his signals.

Runaway lift truck hits sweeper. A mechanic was operating a battery-powered lift truck for the test after finishing repairs on the malfunctioned controller. The truck started to run away all of sudden and hit a nearby sweeper, causing her an injury of three months. Wrong wiring he made by mistake was to blame for the accident.

Corrective Action 1. After repairs on controllers, be sure to check if the commutation failure protection circuit functions properly. 2. When conducting a test operation, keep a wide area, put up a fence to keep bystanders off as well as post a work conductor. 3. Start a test run at a low speed and bring it up to a high speed, applying load in several stages.

Running lift truck runs over helper. A lift truck was carrying a cart on the fork, and repair tools were in the cart. While running, part of the tools in the cart threatened to fall off due to the truck's vibration. At the sight, a nearby worker ran up to the lift truck to push the falling tools back to the cart, but he was run over by the truck and had his leg broken.

Corrective Action 1. Do not get near a running lift truck. Signal the operator to stop the truck and then walk up to him. 2. Fasten loose cargos, or put them in a large box and carry it on a pallet. 3. Run a lift truck at the lowest speed possible, leaving a leeway for the operator to pay good attention to the conditions of floor surface, neighborhood, cargos, etc.

Removed adapter lets fork fall, injuring mechanic. A mechanic fixed an oil pressure gauge to a lift cylinder piping in order to measure hydraulic oil pressure in the lift cylinder. As he finished to take the measurement, he loosened the adaptor of the hydraulic oil pressure gauge. Then hydraulic oil spurted out suddenly, as a result of which the lift cylinder rod was pulled in, letting down the fork on the mechanic's foot. He was naturally injured. The lift cylinder rod was not completely drawn to the end, but had a clearance of approx. 10 cm, which was to blame for the fallen bucket.

Corrective Action 1. Start with inspection or maintenance work on lift trucks only after it has been confirmed that the fork was lowered to the ground. If it becomes definitely necessary to begin with the work with the fork in a lifted position, take precautions so that the fork will not drop during the work. 2. Put on safety shoes for the work. 3. Do not go under any object that may fall off, slide down, or overturn, or put any part of the body beneath it.

Falling fork breaks mechanic's finger, while in check. A mechanic was checking the clearance between the inner rollers and the inner mast, as they caused abnormal noises presumably due to friction. Standing in front of the operator's platform, he stretched an arm for the fork control lever intending to raise the fork, but he lowered it by mistake. He had a finger pinched in between the lowered fork and the mast.

Corrective Action 1. Operate the control levers only in the operator's platform. Do not touch the mast. 2. When checking the machine condition, appoint an inspector and an operator independently. Moreover, if the circumstance so requires, appoint a signalman, too, for assuring safety in the work.

Oil leakage causes fork to drop, injuring worker. Oil leakage was found on the lift side of a lift cylinder piping. A mechanic tried to fix the trouble by retightening the bolts on the piping, after lifting up the fork to the height of 1.5 meters. Now that the oil leakage could not be stemmed somehow, he once loosened the bolts, but he did so excessively. As a result the hydraulic oil began to flow out, which in turn let fall the fork. A worker, who stood under the fork to shine a light on the work with a flashlight, was crushed by the falling fork and injured.

Corrective Action 1. Do not allow anyone to go under the fork. If it becomes definitely necessary to do so, take every precaution to ward off fall of the fork. 2. Evacuate the worker from under the fork to a safer place before loosening the piping connection.

Slipped jack lets fall chassis, seriously injuring mechanic. When a mechanic tried to creep under the chassis that was raised and rested on supporting blocks, he found the height was a bit too low to do so. He further raised the chassis with a jack and went under it for inspection. Then the jack slipped up all of sudden, letting fall the machine. He was crushed under the fallen machine and seriously injured.

Corrective Action 1. Do not use a jack for supporting equipment, because it may possibly collapse due to a failure. Be sure to use appropriate supporting devices after jacking. 2. Use chocks to secure a machine firmly, while servicing it. 3. Keep inexperienced workers under the control of a work conductor during work.

FORKLIFT ACCIDENT

To replace a light bulb suspended from a warehouse ceiling, pallets have been piled onto the forks of a forklift and are being raised with a worker on top of them toward the light bulb.

When the forklift operator moved the forklift slightly to adjust its position, the pallets became unstable and fell over, causing the worker to fall to the warehouse floor.

Tips for preventing similar accidents

1. Use appropriate machines and equipment, such as aerial work platforms and scaffolding. 2. Do not work on top of loads or pallets. If work must be performed on a pallet, ensure that machinery in a location where it is not at risk of tumbling over, install handrails or a frame of an adequate height around the pallet, and ensure all necessary measures are taken, such as securing the pallet to the forks, and ensuring that the worker uses a safety belt.

FORKLIFT ACCIDENT

An operator worker is backing up a lift truck to make a 90-degree turn after loading in a parts warehouse. Meanwhile another worker A is walking along the isle. He heard the backup buzzer sound to tell a lift truck was backing up, but he thinks it is still far away and keeps walking, taking little heed to the movement of the lift truck.

The worker A, who did not stop and wait, though he heard the warning buzzer sound, was hit from behind by the lift truck, whose operator failed to thoroughly check rearward, and got a leg injured.

Tips for forestalling similar accidents 1. Provide a sidewalk exclusively for pedestrians along the isles and see that they walk on the sidewalk without fail. 2. If a worker is obliged to step in the area where a lift truck is operated, he/she will caution the operator and both parties will confirm mutual safety. 3. A lift truck operator will check safety in the traveling direction in advance.

Loosened rim flies off, seriously injuring mechanic. When dismounting a wheel, a mechanic loosened the bolts securing a split type rim by mistake. The loosened rim flew off and hit him directly. He was injured seriously. He had had little experiences in the work and was ignorant of the split type rim.

Corrective Action 1. When dismounting a wheel equipped with a split type rim, first deflate the tire and then start with the work. Let only the licensed workers do the work. 2. Do not stand direct in front of the wheel, when doing the work, lest the wheel should spring out or fall forward.