Forklift Capacity Calculator

Forklift Safety

Very recently, a beverage distributor in Hondo, Texas was fined by OSHA over $52,000 for failure to perform forklift training to the company's workers. These types of fines occur not only when businesses fail to meet OSHA's training requirements for forklift safety and operations, but also when there are violations in forklift safety or other health and safety related issues.

Forklifts are a part of normal warehouse and plant operations across the world. These machines greatly improve productivity for logistics, inventory, and order processing. The forklift's ability to move large amounts of products and heavy loads make it a true modern day work horse for the product manufacturing and distribution business.

However, forklifts can certainly be a safety hazard. Incorrect forklift safety operations and procedures can result in many types of injuries to persons, products, and structures:

• Damage to shelving or storage structures

• Structural beams or walls could be damaged, making the building itself unsafe

• Product destruction

• Employee injuries from being hit by a forklift, falling materials, or damaged work area

• Health hazards from operating gas-powered lifts in confined areas

• Forklift battery hazard, due to high voltage or acid leaks and improper maintenance

North Carolina State University published some basic forklift training guidelines as part of their education program. Some of the items covered in forklift training include:

• Only operate a forklift if you have completed authorized training

• Adhere to forklift speed limits in all areas

• Make sure your load is below your maximum capacity to carry

• Properly use the horn at intersections or when backing up

• Do not make sharp turns

• Always wear protective equipment while operating a lift

• Before exiting the forklift, make sure the machine is secured, brakes applied, and properly shut down

Additionally, Multi Channel Merchant has some forklift safety advice, including:

• Always adhere to OSHA regulations, and review the regulations on a routine schedule, to make sure your operations are kept up-to-date

• Forklifts may have rear-steering, which can be confusing to operate for untrained users

• Forklifts can tip more easily than a vehicle, so additional precautions should be taken to avoid tipping

• Utilize seat belts, hard hats and other security measures when operating a forklift

• Different lifts can require different types of specialized training - check with the forklift provider for equipment-specific guidelines

Every company's operations are different - whether the business is food distribution, automotive products, or medical supplies, there can be many factors that affect forklift safety. Having procedures established and in writing is a start, and then all warehouse and plant managers should be fully versed in both forklift operations, and the company-specific procedures.

The procedures should be reviewed at least annually, but potentially more often, if OSHA guidelines change or significant changes to the warehouse or business occur.

When exploring your forklift equipment options, consider the type of lift and the attachments, along with the capacity rating. This can greatly affect the level of safety of the lift. For help with calculating lift capacity, check LiftTruckCapacityCalculator.com for more information and tools.

Professional Forklift Engineering Services

Forklifts are very versatile machines. They are designed to lift heavy items of all types safely, without injury to the item or to the operator. Lift trucks can handle items such as truck engines, cement barriers, pipes and tubing.

Forklift Manufacturers

Materials handling and logistics are the unsung heroes of modern business. Through the process of transporting products from raw materials to finished goods, businesses succeed or fail because of their internal logistics.

There are a multitude of factors that affect the lifting capacity of a forklift and these parameters, which are indicated on the capacity data plate, include:

Make or Manufacturer
Model
Power Source
Battery Weight (for electrics)
Tire Type
Tire Size
Mast Lift Height
Mast Carriage Type
Attachment(s) Type
Attachment(s) model
Load Center of Gravity (CG or LC)

If any of these parameters are changed, particularly the attachments on the forklift carriage or the load center, the capacity plate should be checked for accuracy to ensure safe load handling.

Forklift attachments include anything that is attached to the front carriage of a forklift or is attached to an attachment on the forklift. A typical forklift attachment configuration might include a hang-on side shifter and two forks. In this case, if the forks are removed and longer forks are added, the capacity of the machine could be drastically reduced. Or if the forklift is used to pick up a fork mounted attachment, such as a drum handler or fork extensions, then a capacity data plate must be changed or added to reflect the new configuration. OSHA forklift safety regulations state that a forklift must have a legible capacity plate to reflect any attachment used on the lift.

Lift height or maximum fork height (MFH) has a significant effect on a forklift’s load carrying capacity, and forklifts with high masts will have a greater carrying capacity at lower lift heights than at the maximum lift height. For this reason forklifts with very high masts may have a dual capacity rating on the data plate; a maximum capacity up to a mid level lift height, and a lower capacity rating at the maximum lift height. This allows the forklift operator to work with heavier loads at low heights, i.e. loading and unloading trucks, cross-docking, etc., while using the same forklift to put away lighter loads to high storage locations.

Because a forklift is using leverage to lift a load, any condition that adds weight to the front of the forklift and causes the load center (LC or CG) of the load to be moved further away from the forklift will contribute to a reduction in the residual carrying capacity of the machine. Forklift attachments can cause these reductions, as well as the dimensions of the load and the load handling conditions. Load center typically refers to the horizontal distance to the load CG and is typically half the length of the load for symmetrical objects. To illustrate how attachments and load CG’s can affect residual carrying capacity, consider for example that a particular forklift with only forks on the carriage is rated at 5,000 lb capacity @ 24” load center on the data plate. This forklift will only be rated at 1,270 lb when equipped with a particular 8 foot long fork mounted jib boom because the boom adds weight and moves the load center out to 96 inches. In this case the forklift may employ a dual load center capacity rating on the capacity plate indicating a greater lifting capacity (2,750 lb) at a 4 foot load center and a lower capacity (1,270 lb) at the 8 foot load center.

Small changes in load center can also greatly affect the carrying capacity. Consider the capacity of the same 5,000 lb forklift with 48” forks and rated at a 24” load center, drops to 3,660 lbs when 72” fork extensions are employed to lift a 6 foot long load.

The main thing to consider is that every forklift has a legible capacity plate that accurately reflects the attachment configuration being used at the correct load center for the load being lifted and contact Professional Forklift Engineering Services at www.LiftTruckCapacityCalculator.com to check your lift capacity and get a professional engineering (PE) certified capacity rating plate on your forklift today.

"Employers who are cited for repeat violations demonstrate a lack of commitment to workplace safety and health standards. Deficient forklifts and improperly handled chemicals can lead to serious injuries or death,"said Diane Turek, director of OSHA's Chicago North office in Des Plaines. "All employers must take the necessary steps to eliminate hazards from the workplace."

Four repeat violations with proposed penalties of $132,000 have been cited,including exposing workers to hazards by allowing them to operate forklifts that remained in service even after deficiencies were noted; exposing workers' eyes, faces and hands to corrosive chemicals without providing suitable eyewash facilities; and failing to develop an emergency response plan and conduct fire extinguisher training. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. The company was cited for the same violations at numerous facilities between 2006 and 2011.

Central Transport also has been cited for eight serious violations with proposed penalties of $30,800, including failing to train and evaluate forklift drivers, maintain forklift name plates in legible condition, label hazardous material containers, maintain the mechanic shop maintenance area in a dry condition, provide workers with training on hazardous chemicals and provide material data safety sheets for workers' reference. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

Finally, the company has been cited for five other-than-serious violations with $2,000 in proposed penalties for failing to maintain the OSHA 300 injury and illness log, maintain fire extinguishers, illuminate exit signs and unlock a fire exit door. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

The citations can be viewed at http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/CentralTransport_77120_1205_11.pdf*.

Central Transport, a national freight company based in Warren, Mich., has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's Chicago North area director in Des Plaines or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Chicago North office at 847-803-4800.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.