Forklift Controls
In any warehouse environment, one of the most common equipments is a forklift or lift truck. These versatile equipment are comprised of a vehicle along with two split forks at the front which are capable of transporting and lifting heavy items.
The standard forklift is designed to function and move in small spaces and is able to carry items to and from high up places. Forklifts are still really dangerous machinery and must be utilized in a safe manner at all times, after proper training and certification has taken place.
When new to a forklift, take time to read the owner's instruction manual and familiarize yourself with the controls. Be sure to take note of the location of every specific control and what specific feature it functions. Nearly all forklifts 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.
There is another lever which controls the forks tilt. This tilting capability allows for better distribution of weight. This tilting action helps to keep objects stable and won't allow things to fall off when driving. In addition, it helps items slide off when unloading in a more balanced way.
By pulling the second lever back, the forks will tilt back, when pushing the lever forward will tilt the forks forward. Some types of forklifts are equipped with a third lever that controls the width of the forks. Every one of these levers is located just to the right of the operator's seat.
Before utilizing the forklift, sit inside of it and go over what the controls do with a qualified colleague. Be certain to do this when the forklift is off and not operational. Ask the qualified expert if you have any questions about how anything works.
Observation is often the best way to learn new forklift skills. So take time to observe a coworker demonstrating the function of each control. On hydrostatic forklifts, notice that to be able to make the equipment go, you use the gas. And if you want to make it stop, you just release the gas pedal. There is no brake on these kinds of lift trucks. There are some types of hydrostatic forklifts that are complete with battery powered engines which turn off when the gas pedal is released. They start up once the gas pedal is pushed again.