Month: June 2023

Tips to Improve Dock Safety

Barry Safety, Warehouse , ,

Improving safety on a warehouse dock is crucial for preventing accidents and maintaining a secure work environment. Here are some recommendations to enhance safety:

  • Conduct regular safety training: Train all dock workers on proper safety protocols, including equipment operation, handling hazardous materials, and emergency procedures. Offer refresher courses periodically and ensure everyone understands safety regulations.
  • Provide personal protective equipment (PPE): Supply all workers with appropriate PPE, such as hard hats, safety glasses, high-visibility vests, steel-toed boots, and gloves. Encourage their consistent use and enforce PPE policies.
  • Maintain clear communication: Establish effective communication systems, such as two-way radios or intercoms, to allow clear communication between dock workers, truck drivers, and supervisors. Ensure everyone can effectively relay information, warnings, and instructions.
  • Implement traffic management: Develop a comprehensive traffic management plan for the dock area to prevent collisions and improve pedestrian safety. Clearly mark pedestrian walkways and separate them from vehicle lanes. Install signage and mirrors to enhance visibility, and consider using barriers or guardrails where necessary.
  • Ensure proper lighting: Adequate lighting is essential for a safe dock environment. Install sufficient lighting fixtures to eliminate dark areas and shadows that could obscure visibility. Regularly inspect and maintain lighting systems to address any issues promptly.
  • Regular maintenance of equipment: Establish a preventive maintenance program for all dock equipment, including forklifts, loading ramps, and conveyor systems. Regular inspections and maintenance help identify potential hazards, preventing equipment malfunctions that could lead to accidents.
  • Promote good housekeeping: Encourage a clean and organized work environment. Ensure that walkways, ramps, and loading areas are free of clutter, debris, spills, and obstacles that can cause slips, trips, or falls. Provide adequate waste management systems to prevent accumulation of waste materials.
  • Implement safety barriers and guards: Install safety barriers, guardrails, and bollards to protect pedestrians and prevent unauthorized access to restricted areas. Implement dock edge protection systems to prevent accidental falls from the dock.
  • Use warning signs and labels: Clearly display warning signs and labels to communicate potential hazards, such as restricted areas, low clearance, slippery surfaces, or areas with moving equipment. Ensure signage is prominently visible and easily understood.
  • Regular safety inspections: Conduct routine safety inspections to identify potential hazards, non-compliance with safety protocols, or equipment issues. Encourage reporting of safety concerns by workers and promptly address any identified problems.
  • Emergency preparedness: Develop and communicate emergency procedures specific to the dock area. Clearly mark emergency exits, fire extinguishers, and other safety equipment. Conduct drills periodically to ensure workers are familiar with emergency protocols.
  • Encourage employee involvement: Involve employees in safety initiatives by establishing a safety committee or encouraging their participation in safety discussions. Encourage workers to report safety concerns, near-miss incidents, or potential hazards, and reward proactive safety behavior.

Partnering with a professional material handling company gives you insight from industry professionals whose goal is to help you create a safe working environment for anyone that operates in or around your docks.

Cal-Lift Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of Forklift Safety Day

Barry Material Handling News, Safety , , , ,

What You Can Do to Recognize Forklift Safety Day

Forklift Safety Day is a great opportunity to review your forklift safety program and/or plan. And if you don’t have a program or plan, this would be a great opportunity to create one! 

Start with Training

  • Are all of your forklift operators up-to-date on their training. Remember, forklift operators must receive refresher training every three years, and be evaluated on the equipment that they operate. 
  • How well do you know your operators? Download our Forklift Operator Questionnaire to get to know their experience operating lift equipment.

Inspections and Maintenance

  • We know that pre-shift inspections of all equipment are required by OSHA. But did you know that by taking a few minutes to inspect equipment not only improves safety, it helps you identify small issues before they blossom into giant repair or injury and damage headaches.
  • Planned Maintenance – This is a great opportunity to review your current PM program. Is it being executed properly according to intervals  you require? Is the Planned Maintenance complete and thorough? A thorough and robust Planned Maintenance program is key to maintaining safety and productivity of your forklifts. Learn more about our Service Department.

For more information on safety, planned maintenance, service or repair of your forklifts, please visit our website at www.cal-lift.com, or give us a call at 800-322-5438.

Review and Update Safety Policies

Review and update safety policies: Take the opportunity to review and update your organization’s forklift safety policies and procedures. Ensure they align with current best practices and regulations. If necessary, introduce new policies to further enhance safety measures.

Promote a Culture of Safety

Encourage a culture of safety within your organization. Encourage employees to report any safety concerns or near-miss incidents. Recognize and reward individuals or teams that consistently prioritize forklift safety.

Forklift Safety is No Accident

We’re here to help you maintain safety in your forklift operations by ensuring all your employees that might operate a forklift, know the limitations and dangers of forklifts AND to ensure they are all operating a peak efficiency and safety. To speak to one of our professional abo

Forklift Safety Inspections

Barry Forklift Service, Regulatory, Safety , , , ,

Forklift Safety Day is fast approaching and we want to help raise awareness to help improve safety on, and around the forklifts we operate. Pre-shift inspections have been the law for two decades and besides maintaining compliance, the make great sense in terms of employee safety, productivity and the overall health of your business. Forklift inspections are important for:

  1. Safety: Forklifts are powerful and heavy machinery used to move and lift heavy loads. Regular inspections ensure that forklifts are in safe working condition, minimizing the risk of accidents or injuries to operators and bystanders. Inspections help identify potential hazards, such as faulty brakes, worn-out tires, malfunctioning controls, or hydraulic leaks, which can be addressed before they lead to accidents.
  2. Compliance: Forklift inspections are often required by law and regulatory bodies to ensure compliance with safety standards. In many countries, employers are legally obligated to maintain a safe working environment and regularly inspect their equipment, including forklifts. Adhering to these regulations helps avoid penalties, fines, or legal issues.
  3. Preventive Maintenance: Regular inspections allow for early detection of mechanical issues or wear and tear on various components. Identifying problems in advance enables proactive maintenance and repairs, preventing breakdowns or major failures that could lead to costly repairs, downtime, and interruptions in operations. By addressing minor issues promptly, more significant and costly problems can be avoided.
  4. Equipment Longevity: Forklifts are a significant investment for businesses, and proper maintenance can extend their lifespan. Regular inspections help identify areas that require attention, such as lubrication, filter replacement, or component adjustments. By keeping the forklift in good working condition, its overall longevity is increased, reducing the need for premature replacements and saving costs in the long run.
  5. Operator Confidence: Consistently inspecting and maintaining forklifts boosts operator confidence. When operators know that the equipment they are using is well-maintained and safe, they can perform their tasks more efficiently and with peace of mind. This can lead to improved productivity, reduced operator errors, and increased overall operational effectiveness.

Overall, forklift inspections are vital for ensuring the safety of operators and those around them, maintaining compliance with regulations, preventing accidents and breakdowns, extending equipment life, and optimizing productivity in the workplace. Below is a video that helps walk you through an inspection of your lift trucks.

Our forklift inspection checklists for electric and IC forklifts are also an important tool to help you conduct thorough inspections of your lift trucks. These were developed with inspection suggestions directly from OSHA. Remember to also inspect any additional equipment you’ve added to the forklift, safety lights and other products, attachments etc…

Download our Electric Forklift Inspection Form

Download our IC Forklift Inspection Form

We believe forklift safety starts with operating a safe forklift. For any questions about service or parts as a result of your inspections, please contact us at 800-322-5438.