How to Properly Use a Forklift
Forklifts are material handling machinery which can transport loads. Most commonly, these machinery are used in some industries to transport heavy materials in various settings like supply companies, warehouses and airports. Anyone operating a forklift must be trained to carefully utilize the equipment. It is critical to be completely aware of one's environment while operating a forklift. Forklifts are designed to run on propane, gasoline, batteries or diesel. Typical lift trucks are common in various commercial applications and are not difficult to utilize with proper training. The following steps outline the fundamentals of operating a forklift:
1 Familiarize yourself with the levers which will be used to maneuver the cargo and to transport the object from one location to another. The levers could be found to the right of the steering wheel.
2 The first lever could move the blades down and up. Pushing the lever away from you moves them down and pulling the lever towards your body moves the tines up. Forks must always be kept close to the ground except when unloading or loading.
3 The other two levers control the tilt and the left/right movement of the tines. The tines are designed to tilt between 15 and 30 degrees. It is better that you practice prior to picking up a load. Using the second lever, pull it towards you to tilt the blades back, and push it away from your body to tilt the forks forward.
4 The third lever is moved side to side to control the movement of the forks from right to left. Simply move the lever in the direction of where you would like the blades to move: left in order to move the tines left, and right in order to move the forks right.
5 Cautiously approach the cargo. Lower the forks and cautiously drive forward until the tines slide under the cargo. After that lift the tines a few centimeters by pulling the lever towards your body. If the cargo is top-heavy, you should tilt the blades backwards a small amount for balance.
6 Warn other individuals and personnel when the lift truck is approaching by honking and take safety precautions by slowly taking corners and honking. Approach the place where you will be working carefully. Control the levers to maneuver the cargo to where it is going. When the load is placed, reverse gears and back away carefully.
7 Forklifts stop pretty much the same way as other vehicles. The brake is situated to the accelerator's left side. Once stopped, shift the gear into "park."