How to Utilize a Forklift
Forklifts are material handling equipment which can move cargo. Normally, these machinery are used in certain industries to transport heavy supplies in a wide variety of environments such as airports, supply companies and warehouses. Anyone operating a lift truck has to be taught to cautiously utilize the machinery. It is essential to be fully aware of one's environment when driving a forklift. Forklifts are designed to run on propane, gasoline, diesel or batteries. Regular lift trucks are popular in various commercial applications and are really not hard to use with proper training. The following steps outline the basics of utilizing a forklift:
1 Familiarize yourself with the levers which would be used to maneuver the load and to move the object from one place to another. The levers can be found to the right of the steering wheel.
2 The first lever could move the tines down and up. Pushing the lever away from your body moves them down and pulling the lever towards your body moves the forks up. Forks must always be kept near the ground except when loading or unloading.
3 The other two levers control the tilt and the left/right movement of the blades. The blades are designed to tilt between 15 and 30 degrees. It is better that you practice before picking up a load. Utilizing the second lever, push it away from your body to tilt the blades forward, and pull it towards you to tilt the blades back.
4 The third lever is moved side to side to control the movement of the forks from right to left. Just move the lever in the direction of where you would like the tines to move: right in order to move the forks right and left in order to move the forks left.
5 Carefully approach the load. Lower the blades and drive forward cautiously until the blades slide under the cargo. Afterward lift the tines a few centimeters by pulling the lever towards you. If the cargo is top-heavy, you should tilt the blades backwards a little for balance.
6 Safe driving regulations include taking corners slowly and honking to warn pedestrians or other personnel that the lift truck is approaching. Approach the place where you will be working carefully. Control the levers to maneuver the load to where it is going. When the cargo is positioned, reverse gears and back away cautiously.
7 A lift truck stops the same way as an automobile. The brake is located to the left of the accelerator. Once stopped, shift the gear into "park."