Even with daily inspections and regular maintenance, forklifts will experience occasional failures of varying severity. In the event of milder equipment trouble, the temptation may exist to keep the unit in service, to tempt fate in the name of efficiency or production.
We can’t emphasize the next four words enough:
Don’t ever do this.
Never, ever.
Ok, that was six words, but the point remains. Ignoring safety procedures is one thing- willfully engaging a damaged or compromised piece of heavy equipment is another.
At best, ignoring a small mechanical problem may result in a larger problem down the road.
At worst, someone could be injured or killed – and while that may seem extreme – it’s not.
Small problems can become large ones quickly. This is why preventative maintenance is so important. Typically, maintaining your forklift is less expensive than replacing it because a little malfunction became a big one. Some estimates have projected damage to forklift fleets can add up to 5% of the cost of the forklift. Regular inspections are proven to prevent such costly damage. The bottom line here- perform your regular inspections and act immediately if you discover any issues.
Continuing to operate a slightly damaged forklift can have a major effect on the functionality, efficiency, and safety of the unit. Regular wear of a forklift has an effect as it is- but add that wear to a compromised lift and the chance of a major incident or malfunction is multiplied.
Proper training and continuing education for your forklift drivers is essential to keep your fleet in working order- and functioning at its peak.
As always, if you have any questions about safety, inspections and functionality of your forklift fleet, do not hesitate to contact our experts at (704) 842-3242. We’ll help you prevent damage that could be costly on so many levels.