Price New or Used Forklifts for Rent or Sale

When considering the versatility of the forklift, you just need to take a broad look across the many business sectors. This is one of the more widely used tools in various industries. Naturally, the forklift is available in various sizes, based on the job requirement and also the capacity needed. Along with this is the ease of having multiple attachments for the types of jobs at hand, or how the business owner plans to use it on site.

Let us take a look at some of the ways that you or your business can make use of the forklift.

Indoor Movement of Materials & Goods

Whether it be a warehouse or distribution center this may be one of the first uses that come to mind. Yes, the forklift is key here as there is stacking and picking of goods and products. Along with this is the transporting of those materials too and from the facility to load or unload the delivery trucks. The forklift can also be seen to manage side-lifting as well as working with high shelf areas as well. Additionally the goods can be delivered using the pull pallets, but large boxes and crates as well as drums and equipment can also be moved with the forklift. Often they can be seen moving with agility through those small aisles doing their job effectively.

Construction Site, and Outdoor Uses

Yes! The forklift is used for those hardware spaces as well as home and garden areas, and typically on construction sites.. This makes the job a bit easier, as well as time efficient as well. However, the forklift has been used in areas where the terrain is rugged and also on those sites needing to move trash and recycling bins, dumpsters and even portable toilets.

Just add one of the attachments for example the hopper attachment and the forklift is now able to transport as well as dump material into much larger containers. With this attachment they can also dump materials into ditches or even down the side of a hill.

Similarly other businesses make use of the various attachments for loading and offloading to get going:

• Docks & Dockyards - Be sure to follow the OSHA guidelines for safety
• Container Yards - Moving pallets in and out of the Containers
• Junkyards & Recycling Centers
• Training - As a starting point for some persons now getting into the field

As A Form Of Transport On The Job

In more recent times this has been added as one of the primary uses of the forklift. Albeit not the traditional form of transport. The forklift has been used as an alternative to platform and cranes, to lift workers to the location or height that they need to be for a particular project. For example, a platform in hard-to-reach areas like those in tree trimming activities.

Other instances may be in the use of:

• Maintenance duties
• Cleaning services in challenging areas - maybe the location is elevated
• Inventory checks and performance - for example assisting persons in warehouses or manufacturing plants and storage areas.

The forklift comes in handy as a double duty tool to support these functions rather than having to use other larger equipment. This may even help to save time and money.  In cases like this it is important to be mindful that the OSHA safety practices are followed. This would aid in preventing falls and any other types of issues that could possibly arise, with the use of specially designed safety cages and platforms.

Miscellaneous Other Uses

Sweeping & Mopping - Forklifts are surprisingly versatile and with a suitable attachment, you can have a broom sweeper for both wet or dry sweeping of an area. The application can be for warehouses and docks as well as outdoors in larger lots and construction sites too. The mopping can be done in a similar fashion.

A Plow Attachment - This allows business persons to offer some specialty services, say during winter to act to plow away the snow. Others may use a plow to push loose dirt and piles of debris.

Concrete Hopper - If you need to move concrete but save money with the use of a pump or crane, then this attachment works with the forklift. This acts to get the concrete into hard-to-reach areas as well.

Heavy Duty Spreader Bars - This type of attachment is seen in those businesses dealing with metal, and metal building construction. This is one of the safe and easy ways to handle rebar and rebar cages. Those long metal beams that can be a challenge to lift and move as well as steel and even wood trusses, can be manipulated a whole lot easier.

What You Need to Know About Forklift Safety

Before operating a forklift, you should have grasped at least the basics of forklift safety. This piece of equipment is one of the more commonly used pieces on many worksites. Whether it is to lift or to transport, they do so with precision. With an estimate of more than one million forklifts in operation, training in its safety is also a priority. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has estimated that forklift accidents cause almost 35,000 serious injuries yearly. It has been found that many of these accidents are as a result of inadequate training. Hence the importance of forklift training in safety.

Get Certified

Part of the safety protocol is certification. Since several of those aforementioned accidents are as a result of poor training, it is ideal that those who are trained and licensed as with the OSHA standards, be the ones responsible for operating a forklift. Along with this should be evaluation every three or so years, as per the guidelines of OSHA and also supplemented with training resources such as videos and software and demos.

Your Clothing 

Safety is also governed by the wearing of proper clothing and attire. This can range from safety shoes, to high-visibility jackets to hard-hats. Along with this is the need to ensure that there is no loose clothing in order that it is not caught in the machinery.

Know Your Machine

There is quite a range of forklifts and also the respective classification of these machines. This includes but is not limited to structure, weight limits, turning radius, and the traveling speed as well as the respective usage of the machine. This is important to know as you operate that particular machine class.

Do Daily Inspections

As a precaution, you should thoroughly inspect your forklift before every use. Doing so daily will ensure that any issues arising from previous use are identified and logged. Along with this - any forklift that requires some form of repair should never be operated. 

These checks should include but not limited to:

• Brakes testing - functionality
• Lights 
• Steering wheel
• Horn
• Mast and overhead guard
• Tires
• Fluid levels (brake, engine and fuel, coolant)
• Are there any leakes (water, oil radiator)
• What condition is the fork in? (no cracks, is it straight?)

Be Mindful of Stability & Capacity

It is important that the hauling weight does not exceed the counterweight of the forklift. Doing so can cause the rear wheels to rise off the ground and this leads to a toppling of the forklift machine. By extension this can cause serious personal injury as well as damage to the machine, and maybe any materials that are being negotiated.

The operator should understand the center of gravity and the point where the weight has an equal concentration that is shared with the load being carried. Forklifts have a three-point suspension system, also known as the stability triangle. It is the knowledge of remaining within this triangle that prevents the forklift from tipping over, while maintaining lifting capacity.

Additionally as the forklift is such a widely used bit of equipment whether in logistics and warehouses or in construction, safety is of utmost importance. Safety can also enhance and increase productivity. The more skilled the operator is, it is likely that fewer accidents will occur. This also means fewer interruptions in business, as well as lower operational cost, since the machine is running as per the safety checklist. Following this also means that the number of unplanned repairs are lower as well, and this is an added benefit.  

Be sure that other persons within the operating environment of the forklift are mindful of safety protocols. This can mean avoiding standing or walking under a raised load or the lifting mechanism or any forklift attachment.