Forklift Controls
Inside any warehouse environment, one of the most common equipments is a lift truck or forklift. These versatile machines are comprised of a vehicle together with two pronged forks at the front that can haul and carry bulky items.
The standard forklift is built to work and move in small spaces and could carry things to and from high up places. Lift trucks are still very dangerous machines and should be operated in a safe manner all the time, after correct training and certification has taken place.
When new to a lift truck, make time to read the owner's manual and familiarize yourself with the controls. Be sure to take note of the location of every specific control and what particular feature it functions. Most forklifts have two levers which control the forks. The first lever controls the height of the fork. In order to make the forks go down, you push the lever forward. To be able to move the forks upwards, you just pull back on the lever.
The forklift's second lever is utilized to tilt the forks allowing for better weight distribution across the forklift. This tilting action helps to keep objects stable and won't allow items to fall off when driving. Moreover, it helps things slide off in a more balanced way when unloading.
By pulling the second lever back, the forks would tilt back, while pushing the lever forward would tilt the forks forward. Various types of forklifts are outfitted with a third lever that controls the fork width. Each and every one of these levers is situated just to the right of the operator's seat.
Prior to operating the forklift, sit inside of it and go over what the controls do with a trained coworker. Be sure to do this when the forklift is turned off and not operational. Ask the trained professional if you have any questions regarding how something works.
Observation is normally the best method to learn new forklift skills. So take time to observe a coworker demonstrating the function of each control. On hydrostatic lift trucks, notice that in order to make the machinery go, you use the gas. And if you would like to make it stop, you simply release the gas pedal. There is no brake on these types of forklifts. There are some hydrostatic models that are equipped with battery powered engines that turn off when the gas pedal is released. They start up once the gas pedal is pushed again.