Forklift Controls
Inside any warehouse environment, one of the most common equipments is a forklift or lift truck. These all-around machines are comprised of a vehicle with two pronged forks at the front which can transport and lift bulky objects.
Forklifts could maneuver in small spaces and capable of lifting things into up high, hard to reach places. Forklifts are still extremely dangerous machinery and must be utilized in a safe way all the time, after proper training and certification has taken place.
When new to a lift truck, make time to read the owner's instruction manual and familiarize yourself with the controls. Be certain to take note of the location of each 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 move the forks upwards, you just pull back on the lever.
There is a second lever which controls the forks tilt. This tilting capability enables for better weight distribution. This tilting action helps to keep things steady and won't allow things to fall off while driving. Furthermore, it helps objects slide off when unloading in a more balanced way.
To be able to tilt the forks back, you pull the lever back and to be able to tilt the forks forward, you simply push the lever forward. Several forklift models are outfitted with a third lever which controls the fork width. Each and every one of these levers is located just to the right of the operator's seat.
Inexperienced operators should take advantage of experienced coworkers who can go over the controls with them. Be sure to do this while the forklift is off and not in use. Ask the qualified expert if you have any questions about how something works.
Observation is normally the best way to learn new forklift skills. So make time to observe a coworker demonstrating the function of every control. On hydrostatic forklifts, notice that in order to make the machine go, you utilize the gas. And if you would like to make it stop, you just release the gas pedal. There is no brake on these kinds of forklifts. There are several types of hydrostatic forklifts which are complete with battery powered engines that shut off when the gas pedal is released. They start up once the gas pedal is pushed again.