Forklift Controls
Among the most common kinds of machinery you would see inside any warehouse is a forklift. These versatile machinery are comprised of a vehicle with two split forks at the front that could move and lift heavy items.
Forklifts could maneuver in small spaces and capable of lifting items into up high, hard to reach places. Lift trucks are still very dangerous machinery and need to be utilized in a safe way at all times, after proper training and certification has taken place.
When new to a lift truck, take time to read the owner's guidebook and be familiar with the controls. Be certain to take note of the location of each particular control and what specific feature it functions. The majority of lift trucks have two levers that control the forks. The first lever controls the height of the fork. In order to make the forks go down, the lever should be pushed forward. To be able to move the forks upwards, you simply pull back on the lever.
The forklift's second lever is utilized to tilt the forks allowing for better distribution of weight across the forklift. This tilting action helps to keep items steady and won't allow items to fall off when driving. Additionally, it helps items slide off in a more balanced method while unloading.
By pulling the second lever back, the forks will tilt back, while pushing the lever forward would tilt the forks forward. Various forklift models are outfitted with a third lever that controls the fork width. Every one of these levers is situated just to the right of the operator's seat.
Inexperienced drivers must take advantage of qualified coworkers who could go over the controls with them. Be sure to do this while the forklift is turned off and not operational. Ask the trained professional if you have any questions about how something works.
Observation is often the best way to learn new forklift skills. So make time to observe a coworker demonstrating the function of each control. On hydrostatic forklifts, notice that in order to make the equipment go, you use the gas. And if you want to make it stop, you simply release the gas pedal. There is no brake on these types of lift trucks. There are several types of hydrostatic forklifts that are outfitted with battery powered engines which shut off when the gas pedal is released. They start up when the gas pedal is pushed again.