Believe it or not, several businesses really allow their employees on the floor to operate a lift truck even though they have not been given adequate training. By allowing un-trained individuals the opportunity to operate such a massive and potentially dangerous machine, extremely harmful consequences can occur to both the company and the workers.
More serious mishaps are likely to happen if an untrained driver is behind the wheel. Employees who pass by the vehicle could get accidentally struck by the driver. This specific case can occur because of quick and imprecise maneuvers. He or she may figure that operating a lift truck is like driving any other type of motor vehicle, and this is absolutely not the case.
There have been far too many lift truck accidents which companies have reported. When operating this type of machinery, accidents could happen for a variety of reasons. Like for instance, some lift trucks are not equipped with reverse sensors and even if they are equipped with them, these sensors do not necessarily cover a wide rear end area. Therefore, the driver is more likely to have some problems when they are just learning how to drive backwards.
Specially while in the learning curve, the lift truck driver has to drive the machinery slowly and only after ensuring there is no other workers or items behind it, put the machine into reverse. Someone with incomplete training or an inexperienced operator may use the machine to lift materials in an incorrect manner or that are too heavy for the machinery. Lifting the wrong things can cause the goods to suddenly fall off of the machinery. This could severely damage the goods or the warehouse itself or it could possibly harm the workers if they happen to be close by.
Before permitting a worker to drive a forklift, companies should insist and mandate that the training and certification in order to keep the business and its workers safe. By following these strict rules, the company can help to prevent serious mishaps.