How to Correctly Use a Forklift
Lift trucks are lifting equipment that can transport cargo. They are normally utilized in various industries to move heavy materials. They can be found at warehouses, airports and building supply companies. Any individual operating a lift truck must be trained to utilize the machinery carefully. It is essential to be fully aware of one's environment while driving a forklift. Lift trucks are designed to run on propane, gasoline, diesel or batteries. Regular lift trucks are common in various commercial applications and are truly not hard to use with proper training. The following steps outline the basics of using a forklift:
1 Get familiar with all the levers that are utilized to transport and maneuver the load from place to another place. The levers could be found to the right of the steering wheel.
2 The first lever can move the tines down and up. Pushing the lever away from your body moves them down and pulling the lever towards your body moves the blades up. Blades must be kept close to the ground except when loading or unloading.
3 The other two levers control the tilt as well as the left/right movement of the tines. The forks are designed to tilt between 15 and 30 degrees. It is better that you practice before picking up a load. Using the second lever, push it away from you to tilt the tines forward, and pull it towards you to tilt the forks back.
4 Lever number 4 is used to control the forks side to side movement from right to left. Simply move the lever towards where you want the tines to move: left to move the forks left, and right in order to move the forks right.
5 Always approach a cargo cautiously. Lower the tines and carefully drive forward until the forks slide under the load. After that lift the tines a few centimeters by pulling the lever towards you. If the cargo is top-heavy, you need to tilt the tines backwards a little for balance.
6 Alert other individuals and employees when the lift truck is approaching by honking and take safety measures by slowly taking corners and honking. Approach the place where you will be working cautiously. Manipulate the levers to maneuver the load to where it is going. When the cargo is placed, reverse gears and back away cautiously.
7 Forklifts stop in much the same way as other vehicles. The brake is found to the left of the accelerator. Once stopped, put the gear into "park."