Forklifts are a serious hazard: each year approximately 400 people are injured by forklifts at Victorian workplaces - and since 1985, 55 Victorian workers have lost their lives in incidents involving forklifts. All are avoidable.
Forklifts must be in good working order and properly maintained.
Completing a forklift safety checklist should be part of every forklift operator's daily routine. Before starting a shift, all operators should check their forklift is in safe working order, ready to be used and capable of completing the tasks required of it.
If any damage or problems with a forklift are identified, they should be immediately tagged and reported to a supervisor - if it is unsafe to operate the forklift with the problem, then it should not be operated. The WorkSafe publication Forklift Safety - Reducing the Risks has a sample checklist to follow.
Do I need a licence to operate a forklift?
The short answer is "yes" - it is necessary to hold a certificate to operate a forklift. [Note: a licence is
not required to operate a 'pedestrian forklift', that is, a forklift where the operator is walking and 'pushes' the forklift].
However, if you are "in training" you are permitted to operate a forklift without a license until such time as you are competent enough to be assessed. You must be "in sight and sound" of a licensed operator at all times. It is not sufficient that there is a licensed operator SOMEWHERE on the premises.
If someone is "in training", then they should be undergoing training - it is not acceptable for a person to be "in training" indefinitely.
WorkSafe Victoria has instituted a 'zero tolerance' policy on the unsafe or illegal use of forklift trucks, dramatically increasing the risk of prosecution for those who cause or tolerate non-compliance with health and safety laws.
This means that any immediate risk or other non-compliance with OHS law associated with the use of forklifts detected by a WorkSafe inspector is expected to be rectified not only in relation to the particular incident but to prevent similar incidents occurring in the future.
What about driving on the road?
If a forklift has to be driven outside the workplace on a public road, it must be registered and have number plates. In addition to holding a current forklift licence, the operator must also hold a current Victorian driver's licence.
More information:
WorkSafe has produced a forklift safety information pack to assist employers to prevent forklift incidents in the workplace. It focuses on improving forklift traffic management. The pack is FREE and is available by emailing publications@workcover.vic.gov.au or telephoning 1800 136 089.
It can also be downloaded. More information from WorkSafe Victoria
- Powered mobile plant
- Forklift Safety - Reducing the Risk - includes forklift Instability and pedestrian safety
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A Guidebook of Industrial Traffic Management and Forklift Safety developed by the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) to provide specific guidance on workplace traffic management and forklift safety.
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Purchasing or hiring a safe and efficient forklift (Industrial Lift truck) - a two page leaflet with ergonomic advice included
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Forklift Stability and other Technical Safety Issues - Another MUARC report funded by WorkSafe. This publication looks at a range of technical issues, for example the appropriate Australian standards, how to calculate stability and so on.
Check WorkSafe's Forklift Safety page for additional resources.
Resources from elsewhere:
From NSW:- a Safety Alert Working with Forklifts
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Making your Forklift work for you - a 10 minute checklist for managers and supervisors: designed to be a trigger as an alert to inefficient practices related to all powered trucks. It does not replace a thorough risk assessment of all the workplace operations and does not include all the hazards related to the use of forklifts.
(last amended March 2012)