From tip-overs to falling loads and injuries to personnel, these are all safety risks of ignoring forklift capacity limits that you and your entire team need to be aware of. At the very least, it can result in significant and costly property damage.
Failure to follow forklift safety guidelines can lead to deadly workplace accidents, given their weight, size, and heavy loads.
Indeed, the National Safety Council (NSC) says these machines were the source of 67 job-related fatalities in 2023. They also resulted in nearly 25,000 cases of Days Away from Work, Job Restriction, or Transfer (DART) between 2021 and 2022.
You don't want any of that to happen to you and your team, which is why understanding the dangers of ignoring forklift capacities is key to accident prevention.
What Is the Capacity of a Standard Forklift?
Since there are many models and types of forklifts, there's no single "standard" forklift or capacity. They can vary widely, from something as low as 3,000 pounds to as high as 70,000 pounds.
Given the vast differences, you need to be mindful of these figures, whether you're loading one or about to explore truck-mounted forklifts for sale. You must ensure the machine you choose is appropriate for the load and lifting job you want it to do.
What Are the OSHA Requirements for Forklifts?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the federal agency under the U.S. Department of Labor that develops and enforces forklift standards. OSHA primarily outlines these safety regulations in the industry standard 29 Code of Federal Regulations 1910. Some of the key topics this standard addresses and covers have to do with:
- Operator training and certification
- Equipment design and function, including forklift capacity limits
- Equipment maintenance
- Operational practices
- Workplace conditions
The primary goal of OSHA forklift standards is to prevent workplace accidents and empower organizations to provide their employees with a safe working environment.
As a business owner or contractor, you must adhere to these regulations to protect your people. Failure to comply can endanger you, your team members, and your business, and OSHA can also penalize you for non-compliance.
OSHA penalties are hefty, with the maximum penalty amounts for "serious" violations reaching $16,550 per violation. Willful or repeated violations are nearly ten times more, at $165,514 per violation.
What Are the Risks of Ignoring Forklift Capacity Limits?
The most significant risk associated with ignoring forklift capacity limits is death. It can occur as a result of tip-overs or falling loads. Even if it doesn't result in a fatality, it can still cause severe injuries and tremendous property damage.
Tip-Overs or Overturns
Per the Texas Department of Insurance, tip-overs are among the leading causes of workplace deaths and injuries involving forklifts. A forklift tip-over, also referred to as "overturn," is when a forklift turns over onto its side or rolls over due to instability. Forklift instability can be a result of:
- Overloading
- Improper loading or load handling
- High speeds
- Uneven surfaces
- Maneuvering or turning on slopes
Falling Loads
Failure to adhere to forklift capacity limits can also lead to falling loads, which can then fall on and strike people nearby. Overloading a forklift can lead to falling load incidents because it can make the machine unstable and more susceptible to tipping. It can do so by forcing the equipment's center of gravity to shift.
An overloaded forklift or unstable load can also result in loss of control. In this case, sudden movements could put the load at risk of falling.
There's also the mechanical strain that an overloaded forklift can suffer from. The unnecessary additional stress could cause the machine's components to develop mechanical faults. If this happens, the forklift is likely to drop the load.
Property Damage
Even when forklift incidents don't claim lives or injure people, they can still wreak havoc on your operations by damaging equipment and property. Overloading, for instance, places significant stress on the forklift and its components, such as the tires, mast, and hydraulics. Such unnecessary stress contributes to the premature wear and tear of the equipment.
Within just a short time, this early degradation can result in your forklift requiring costly repairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Else Can Overloading Forklifts Affect Your Operations?
When your forklifts break down due to significant (yet premature) wear and tear, you'd need to put them "out of service" or "under maintenance." Depending on the damage and part availability, it can take days to fix these heavy machines.
While your forklifts are undergoing repairs, you won't be able to use them, causing your operations unnecessary downtime.
Unexpected forklift repairs are costly, and unplanned downtime can set your project back. They can cause your team's productivity levels to plummet, and the problem may be severe enough that they can make you miss your deadlines.
If you miss project deadlines, your clients won't be happy. You may even face legal risks if your customers pursue you for "breach of contract" (due to failing to meet the deadline). If this happens, your business and its reputation could be at risk.
How Can You Mitigate Forklift Safety Risks?
First, ensure that all your forklift operators have the right qualifications (e.g., they've completed all mandatory OSHA-compliant training programs). Ideally, they should have adequate work experience in the industry you're in (e.g., construction vs. warehousing).
Just as crucial is to ensure that the forklifts you invest in are of the right size and specifications appropriate for your operations. Since many incidents result from overloading, your machines should be able to manage the loads your operations typically deal with.
Never ignore or delay necessary forklift maintenance, too. Ensure that your operators adhere to stringent servicing and usage policies, not only because it's the law but also because it's for their safety.
Never Ignore Forklift Capacity Limits
Ignoring forklift capacity limits is a dangerous, even deadly practice because it can increase the risk of overturns or falling loads. Even if these incidents don't cause injuries or deaths, they can still cause significant losses and property damage. All those should be good enough reasons for you and your entire team to adhere to forklift capacities and never exceed them.
Explore more of the latest local news, safety guides, and business posts by browsing the rest of our site.
This article was prepared by an independent contributor and helps us continue to deliver quality news and information.
