Your forklift is a critical part of your operation, but you know what else is extremely important, too?
Your warehouse itself. And sometimes, due to normal wear and tear or (let’s be honest) neglect and willful disregard, your forklift can be your facilities worst enemy.
The good news here is there are steps you can take to protect and shield your brick and mortar facility from forklift damage.
Guard rails.
A small bump from a forklift could cause extensive damage, or even shut down a critical piece of equipment for days. Each of those scenarios costs you money. Sturdy guard rails can protect machines, pathways and shelving. These rails mount to the floor and can provide at least a little defense from an errant forklift.
Take a walk through your warehouse and see if you can identify where a guardrail might make the difference between a catastrophic potentially life-threatening accident, and a little bump on nan easily-replaceable railing.
Column guards.
Sometimes the only line of defense between your forklift and your racks. These horseshoe-shaped barriers attach to the floor or the bottom of the racks and prevent damage to the shelving.
Post protectors.
Kind of like column guards, but these wrap around the structure’s weight-bearing support posts. We don’t’ have to tell you what a forklift-into-a-support-post accident can mean to your facility. These post protectors absorb and diffuse the pressure and contact to a weight-bearing post, decreasing the risk of a catastrophic failure.
Floor markings.
Mark the spaces on your floor where it is safe for your people to move around and where your forklift isn’t likely to travel. Create traffic lanes, pedestrian walkways and safety zones, and train your team members to follow these guidelines at all times.
Safety comes first. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact our experts at (704) 842-3242 and they can help you make your facility safer.