How to Correctly Use a Forklift
Lift trucks are material handling machines that can move loads. Normally, these equipment are utilized in some industries to transport heavy materials in a wide variety of environments like warehouses, airports and supply companies. Any person operating a lift truck must be taught to carefully use the equipment. It is critical to be fully aware of one's environment while driving a forklift. Forklifts are designed to run on gasoline, propane, batteries or diesel. Regular lift trucks are common in various commercial applications and are really not hard to utilize with proper training. The following steps outline the basics of using a forklift:
1 Get familiar with all the levers that are utilized to move and maneuver the load from place to another location. The levers could be found to the right side of the steering wheel.
2 The first lever could move the tines up and down. Pulling the lever towards your body moves the tines up, and pushing the lever away from your body moves them down. Tines must always be kept near the ground except when unloading or loading.
3 The two other levers work to control the tines movement right and left and to control the forks tilt. 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, pull it towards you to tilt the forks back, and push it away from your body to tilt the blades forward.
4 Lever number 4 is used to control the side to side movement of the forks from right to left. Simply move the lever towards where you want the tines to move: right in order to move the forks right and left to move the blades left.
5 Always approach a cargo carefully. Lower the blades and cautiously drive forward until the tines slide under the cargo. Then lift the forks several centimeters by pulling the lever towards you. If the load is top-heavy, you should tilt the forks backwards a small amount for balance.
6 Alert other people and employees when the lift truck is approaching by honking and take safety measures by taking corners slowly 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 cargo is positioned, reverse gears and cautiously back away.
7 A forklift stops the same way as a car. The brake is situated to the left of the accelerator. Once stopped, put the gear into "park."