Go Paperless with Material Handling Vehicles
Safety Check Recorders
It’s Finally Time to Go Paperless with Your Forklift Safeties
If you own or work for an industrial business in North America, regardless of municipality, you will be audited by an OSHA or Ministry investigator to ensure regulations are being met. One of those regulations is that a pre-shift safety check be performed by the operator of the vehicle prior to commencing the shift. Whether it be daily, continental or rolling 8 hours before that vehicle begins the mechanical functionality, working components and the safety equipment of the vehicle must pass a physical inspection. Moreover, a record of that inspection must also be kept log of for the purpose of just such an inspection. Many times these inspections are unannounced so that due diligence can be determined at the actual time of inspection. The most common method of cataloging daily inspections in North America is paper.
The Problem with Paper and SkidWeigh Technologies Safety Solution
Presently most companies require their operators to fill out a generic forklift safety questionnaire. Upon completion they are to date it, sign it and submit for record. Although this form of record is compliant it is not without its faults that could leave companies and individuals at fault. Th first such problem with paper is the physicality and its ability to get overlooked, misplaced and lost. From the operation floor to the file folder where they are being kept are many hands and placement stations that could see that record go missing. In addition, the daily routine of paper becomes more of a compliance issue than an actual inspection with recourse for action. One of the biggest complaints from stakeholders that we hear is that the operators are just checking the boxes without actually checking the functionality of the equipment. Th only thing that is compliant is the date on the paper – but what about the liability that could result? Does management actually have time to review past safety records for areas of correction?
Again, the same liabilities could be levied at the company. Fortunately, IVDT through SkidWeigh technology offers a bullet proof process that covers off just such vulnerabilities in a number of its onboard systems from the Defender series to the SkidWeigh Plus systems.
The pre-shift safety check automatically starts every shift without fail requiring the operator to answer the specific question regarding the machine. Once complete the system stores the results chronologically either on the onboard or sends it to the network via a base station for those units on an 900 MHz RF communication platform.
Th best part is no record can be missed and or lost and the system ultimately logs everything recorded.
Also unique to SkidWeigh’s automatic safety check system is its stopwatch on the safety check. Starting when the first question is prompted on the LCD screen and ending when the last question is ‘PASSED’ or “FAILED’ this function tells stakeholders the actual time it took to perform the safety providing information on the level of due diligence.
Never lost and with integrity the SkidWeigh safety check is OSHA and ministry compliant and available for not just forklifts but all industrial vehicles where operational safety is required. Scrubbers, lift tables, skyjacks and compact construction equipment alike.
