Reduce the Risks with Programmable Forklift Safety Check
Millions of pre-shift forklift safety checks are performed every day in North America with the majority of them being recorded and filed on paper. As companies diligently commit to meeting the requirements of OSHA, most would admit that they still feel vulnerable and that the information filed on the pre-shift safety is either inaccurate or the defects the process is designed to detect are not communicated effectively.
The three main problems most admit are routine, communication and discretion. Before the start of each shift most operators select the safety checklist book assigned to their forklift and proceed to check the same boxes off daily. The situation that occurs is that most operators hurry the checklist without even performing the required inspection. The result is that slight defects that could prevent accidents or costly repairs left unattended can escalate to bigger issues of concern. On top of this process is the issue of communication.
Paper does not flow at the same pace as business today. The ability of responsible supervisors to inspect paper checklists and take action is impossible. Operators donât have time in the face of productivity to report the findings of each pre-shift checklist prior to commencing operation. The outcome is a detached filing system that is maintained for compliancy. A by-product of this detached process and the third problem that companies face with regards to pre-shift safety checks is discretionary reporting. When it comes to reporting on the functionality of âInspect the Lift Deviceâ, operators can vary on what passes or fails. Without the supervisor who is ultimately responsible to further inspect and decide on action, the process leaves the company vulnerable.
Paper does not flow at the same pace as business today. The ability of responsible supervisors to inspect paper checklists and take action is impossible. Operators donât have time in the face of productivity to report the findings of each pre-shift checklist prior to commencing operation. The outcome is a detached filing system that is maintained for compliancy. A by-product of this detached process and the third problem that companies face with regards to pre-shift safety checks is discretionary reporting. When it comes to reporting on the functionality of âInspect the Lift Deviceâ, operators can vary on what passes or fails. Without the supervisor who is ultimately responsible to further inspect and decide on action, the process leaves the company vulnerable.
IVDT now introduces a versatile and programmable pre-safety check option that is available on the Defender Impact Management system and the SkidWeigh ED3 and 4 series lift truck scale systems. The option of programmability allows supervisors and stakeholders the ability to create specific checklists for different equipment, such as denoting the differences between an internal combustion counterbalance and an electric pallet truck. In addition the ability to change and add questions allows companies to add customized required responses such as acknowledgement of a valid forklift operator certificate.
The system collects the series of safety responses in a batch file. If all responses are detailed as P ‘Pass’, then the file is date stamped and the Pre-Shift Checklist is recorded as a Pass and stored for compliance reasons. If on the other hand even one question is recorded as F ‘Fail’ then the batch file is recorded as Failed. On systems with wireless connectivity that failed report is sent to a LAN webpage and or an email sent direct to the supervisor or stakeholder or action. Practical functionality is met through versatility, closed loop communication and supervisory notification.
The system collects the series of safety responses in a batch file. If all responses are detailed as P ‘Pass’, then the file is date stamped and the Pre-Shift Checklist is recorded as a Pass and stored for compliance reasons. If on the other hand even one question is recorded as F ‘Fail’ then the batch file is recorded as Failed. On systems with wireless connectivity that failed report is sent to a LAN webpage and or an email sent direct to the supervisor or stakeholder or action. Practical functionality is met through versatility, closed loop communication and supervisory notification.