How to Use a Forklift
Lift trucks are material handling equipment which could transport cargo. Normally, these equipment are utilized in some industries to transport heavy materials in various environments like airports, supply companies and warehouses. Any person operating a lift truck must be taught to use the machine cautiously. It is essential to be fully aware of one's surroundings while operating a forklift. Forklifts are designed to run on gasoline, propane, batteries or diesel. Typical forklifts are popular in various commercial applications and are truly not hard to utilize with proper training. The following steps outline the basics of utilizing a lift truck:
1 Get familiar with all the levers that are used to move and maneuver the load from place to another location. The levers could be found to the steering wheel's right side.
2 The first lever controls the up and down movement of the forks. Pulling the lever towards you moves the forks up, and pushing the lever away from you moves them down. Tines should be kept near the ground except when loading or unloading.
3 The other two levers control the tilt as well as the right/left movement of the blades. The forks are designed to tilt between 15 and 30 degrees. It is recommended that you practice prior to picking up a load. Utilizing the second lever, pull it towards your body to tilt the blades back, and push it away from you to tilt the tines forward.
4 The third lever is moved side to side to control the fork's movement from right to left. Just move the lever towards where you want the tines to move: left in order to move the blades left, and right to move the tines right.
5 Carefully approach the cargo. Lower the blades and drive forward cautiously until the forks slide under the load. After that lift the tines several centimeters by pulling the lever towards your body. If the load is top-heavy, you need to tilt the forks backwards a small amount for balance.
6 Warn other people and employees when the forklift is approaching by honking and take safety measures by slowly taking corners and honking. Approach the place where you will be working carefully. Manipulate the levers to maneuver the load to where it is going. When the cargo is positioned, reverse gears and cautiously back away.
7 A lift truck stops the same way as a car. The brake is found to the accelerator's left side. When stopped, put the gear into "park."