Tag: Forklifts

The Trouble with Forklifts

Warehouse truck works
Fork Lift Issues

Staying safe around warehouse equipment is extremely important, especially around large machines such as forklifts. When employees work around forklifts all day, mistakes are bound to happen, making it critical that when they do occur, the results are relatively minor so people won’t get seriously injured.

Forklift Dangers

Even a small-sized forklift is several hundred pounds of mobile steel on a platform controlled by someone prone to human error. The turning radius that a forklift has can make a big difference in how safe it is for the people working around it. Zero-turn models are relatively safer since other employees do not need to clear the space required to make a turn.

How Can the Danger be Mitigated?

One of the best ways to help keep your employees safe is to use a lift that has the power of a forklift, but allows for a 360 degree line of sight for the operator. These lifts typically tend to be smaller, but should cut down on accidents greatly thanks to their lower center of gravity and the fact that they can safely stop in a much shorter distance.

At DJ Products, we aim to make industrial facilities safer and more efficient with the use of our line of warehouse equipment designed to be smaller but still powerful. For more information about how you can reduce accidents in your workspace, give us a call at 1-800-686-2651 or visit us on our website.

History and Popular Trivia of the Forklift

Forklifts Take Out The Lifting
Forklifts Take Out The Lifting

The forklift, as we know it, began life as a powered winch. It was used to hoist heavy objects, and used electrical motors to get the job done. They were compact but specialized, with pulleys and chains for lifting heavy objects. World War II saw the widespread uses of these hoists, as they were mainly employed to lift up bombs for transportation. That’s a job that certainly calls for hazard pay!

In 1920, the first hydraulic lifting system was invented, and this was melded to a couple of forks. These huge trucks were the direct forerunner of the forklifts that we see today, and when pallets became standardized in the late 30’s, so too did the forks to lift them. But they were big and bulky, and they needed a lot of space to work.

When electric motors and hydraulics finally came together in the mid 40’s, the first real forklift was born. These vehicles were relatively small and compact, yet they could lift very heavy loads.

Here is some trivia.

  • Forklift batteries originally only lasted 8 hours on a full charge, which is how long an average working shift lasts.
  • Forklifts account for only 1% of all accidents in a commercial setting.
  • A forklift was once used to steal an ATM.
  • A modern forklift called a “Sidewinder” is the only forklift that can travel in any direction, even when it is carrying a load.

If you want more information about what a forklift or other industrial cart movers, like trailer movers, small aircraft tuggers and dumpster movers, among others, can do for you, please contact DJ Products.