Forklifts, or forklift trucks, to give them their proper name, are vehicles that are used in a variety of commercial and industrial settings to move objects and loads around a particular building or site.
Many people will associate forklifts with warehouses, or an Ikea store, and will have a pretty clear understanding of what they do and how they operate.
There are however a number of different types of forklift, each with a different role, and requiring different skills to operate.
Given the nature of the work they do of carrying heavy and unbalanced loads, it is crucial that operatives are fully trained in their usage, and are aware of all the safety protocols that need to be in place whilst they are being used.
Different types of Forklift
There are a number of different forklift trucks, named mainly on their different types of usage and construction. The most common ones are :
- Warehouse Forklift
- Side Loader Forklift
- Telehandler Forklift
- Rough Terrain Forklift
- Pallet jack Forklift
- Counterbalance Forklift
- Order Picker Forklift
- Heavy Duty Forklift
- Walkie Stacker Forklift
- Reach Fork Truck
- Gasoline Forklift
- Propane Forklift
- Narrow Aisle Forklift
- Electric Forklift
- Telescopic Forklift
- Articulated Forklift
Different Uses of Forklifts
Construction
Forklifts are used all the time on construction sites of all sizes. They are often the only type of vehicle that can transport materials and other types of equipment around the site. Construction sites are continually in a state of flux, with people, trucks, equipment and goods being continually moved around.
Forklifts are also used for loading and unloading pallets and other types of materials off trucks before they are moved to other areas of the construction site where they are actually going to used or installed.
Safety
Where forklifts are used in or around a construction site, there are a number of safety issues that need to be considered.
The work that forklifts do is often crucial to the smooth running of the site itself, and plays a big part in work being done on time.
As such there are often time pressures on forklift operators to do things quickly and possibly cut corners to speed things up.
It should always be remembered that forklifts carry loads which can be inherently unstable and often at risk of overturning.
Forklift operators need to be fully trained in how to operate the vehicle, what the main safety concerns are, and the safe weight and height levels of any load they may be carrying.
