There is a very good reason why Australia maintains rigorous forklift safety standards. The truth is, not everyone can be trusted on this dangerous machinery, and the uninitiated are simply a risk to themselves, their colleagues and the machine.

And whilst the ultimate fear is that an untrained knucklehead will jump on one of these machines and risk theirs or their colleagues’ health, there is also the risk of causing irreparable damage to the machinery.

When it comes to maintaining the best forklifts for sale, you need a licensed operator who won’t risk the machine’s operational capacity.

With this in mind, we are going to look into the different types of machinery damage, and the best ways to avoid them:

Types of damage

There are numerous factors that could damage this vital piece of logistical machinery. However, there are three main types of damage, and thankfully steps to prevent them from occurring.

This type of damage includes:

1. Product loads dropping off the forks;

2. The forks puncturing product loads;

3. The machine’s mast crushing vital pallets

These particular kinds of damage occur when the loads are wet, the forks are misaligned or the pallets are stacked poorly, and they can all be hazardous for both workers and the machinery itself.

How to prevent risk of forklift damage

Human error is inevitable in warehousing. Mistakes are made and they can be hazardous, but there are simple steps that can be taken to help alleviate - or at least reduce - the risk of machine damage.

This includes:

1. Having only licensed operators operate the machinery

It is an Australian occupational health & safety standard to allow only licenced forklift operators to use the machinery. For the operator to receive this licence, a qualified trainer must evaluate and certify them. Operators have to become recertified to continue operating the machinery, and failure to do so will incur OH&S penalties. Only properly trained personnel can reduce the chances of damaging the machinery/injuring themselves or a colleague. This is because this machinery is different from other vehicles, and contains various intricacies that make it a danger to the untrained. If you have any other access needs, such as scissor lifts, Allstar Access Hire can help you.

2. Checking the pallets before operation

Before loading the machine, the loads must be properly inspected for jutting nails, broken planks or missing support blocks. If the load is stacked, wrapped and loaded properly, the risk of damage/safety concerns is greatly reduced for when the operator is utilising the machinery.

3. Improve the warehouse lighting

This may seem obvious, but many Australian warehouses have poor lighting configuration. This makes them far more hazardous to operate forklifts for sale as well as other vital warehousing components. For this reason, it is imperative that companies invest in stronger lighting solutions.

4. Keep the aisles clear & open

This vital machinery is not designed to dodge or swerve around sudden obstacles. Warehouses should keep their aisles clear and open to prevent machine damage/safety risks. If a machine has to swerve around an object found in the aisle, they are more likely to collide with the shelves and pallets as well as drop their load and risk damage to the machine, the load, surrounding products as well as the operator/staff.

5. Take extra care when operating the machinery

When it comes down to it, this machinery is not something that should be taken for granted. It is always at risk of damage when in operation, and should therefore be taken seriously and with the highest precaution when in operation - it is the best and safest way to ensure the team’s and the machine’s safety in the workplace.