Common Signals Of Forklift Abuse

Determine Which Repairs Are From Normal Wear And When Damage Is Forklift Abuse

Forklift abuse occurs when an operator or the specific application leads to equipment damage beyond normal wear and tear. Some damage results from reckless driving, while in other cases, an untrained operator may unintentionally cause harm to the forklift without realizing the impact of their actions.

Evaluating Forklift Abuse

• Tire marks on the floor
• Clean patches on floor from white-marking tires pulling off dirt
• Dents on the door frames, roof supports & delivery vehicles
• Missing paint & impacts on the forklift counterweight
• Peeled or ripped stickers & safety decals
• Damaged pallet rack
• Bent or chipped forks
• Shattered tail lights & turn signal
• Cracked back-up lights & alarm
• Flat-spotted forklift tire tread, or out-of-round tires

Forklift And Facility Audit

It’s difficult to witness and correct unsafe or reckless driving at all times; however, you can begin to recognize forklift abuse with an audit of your equipment and facility.

Using the list of signals provided, create a checklist of forklift damages that appear to exceed normal wear and tear. Consider the age of your forklift and how many hours it operates each day. To document any damage, take photos of the forklift or affected areas in the facility. These images provide a clear record of the time and date of the damage and can be easily shared with colleagues for reference.

Forklift abuse comes with a high price tag that includes service repairs, destroyed product and facility damage. In addition to regular communication about forklift audits, you can increase safe operation with forklift safety training.

Decrease unsafe forklift operation at your facility. Contact ProLift to schedule a forklift safety class. We can train any employee that operates your forklift or your on-site trainer.