Most responsible businesses will provide a designated parking area for company forklifts, but during operation, it may be impractical to leave the forklift in these spaces. In these circumstances, the following recommendations and more should be taken into consideration:
Park away from pedestrian walkways or pathways
Don’t block any workplace exits or entrances
Never park in front of a fire extinguisher or fire safety box
Never park in front of a first aid or eyewash station
When leaving a forklift unattended, it’s important to leave it in a stable resting position. This is achieved in 3 basic steps:
Lower the forks until they’re flat on the ground
Apply the parking brake.
Set the directional control to neutral.
Even if you’re only going to be away from the forklift for a couple of minutes, it’s vital to get in the habit of turning the engine off and removing the key. And, if you intend on being away from the forklift for an extended period, don’t forget to hand the key to your shift supervisor, in case another operator needs to use the forklift.
There may be times when you have to operate your forklift on an incline. If this is the case, never park on the incline, especially when carrying a load.
If your forklift becomes immobilised whilst working on a slope, the wheels should be securely wedged, and if possible any remaining load safely removed.
Don’t leave your forklift in, or in front of a refuelling area, as this could prevent other forklift operators from refuelling, as well as blocking fire escape routes.
If you’re looking to buy or rent a forklift, or if you need forklift servicing, get in touch with Beds & Bucks Forktrucks, and we’ll be happy to help.
We have a large number of new forklifts in stock, in a variety of top brands, plus one of the largest stocks of used forklifts in the local area, and a team of forklift servicing specialists, able to carry out all your forklift servicing requirements.
