Forklift and Telehandler Safety

Operator certification, pre-shift inspections, seat belts and tip-over survival, telehandler load charts, and keeping pedestrians clear of forks.

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Equipment & tools · 29 CFR 1910.178

Forklifts and telehandlers tip over, and when they do, the instinct to jump is what kills operators. The cage is where you survive. Add pedestrians cutting through busy laydown areas, soft or uneven ground, and long loads carried high, and these machines earn a talk of their own. Only trained, certified operators belong in the seat, and everyone else needs to know how to work around them.

Key hazards

• Tip-overs from turning too fast, overloading, or traveling with the load raised
• Telehandler capacity dropping sharply as the boom extends and raises
• Pedestrians in blind spots and travel paths
• Soft ground, ramps, dock edges, and potholes upsetting the machine
• Falling loads from broken pallets, unbalanced forks, or overloading
• Riders on the forks and unauthorized operators

Safe practices

• Operate only if you are trained, evaluated, and certified for that class of truck. A forklift card does not cover the telehandler.
• Do a documented pre-shift inspection, tires, forks, hydraulics, brakes, horn, lights, and backup alarm, and take a deficient machine out of service.
• Wear the seat belt every time. In a tip-over, stay in the seat, brace yourself, and lean away from the fall. Never jump.
• Know the rated capacity and follow the load chart. On a telehandler, capacity shrinks as the boom goes up and out, and frame leveling and outriggers change the numbers.
• Travel with the forks and load low and tilted back, and drive in reverse when the load blocks your view forward.
• On slopes and ramps, keep the load on the uphill side and never turn on the grade.
• Sound the horn at corners and doorways, make eye contact with pedestrians, and never let anyone walk or stand under raised forks.
• Carry no riders, and lift people only in a work platform approved for that machine.
• Park with the forks flat on the ground, the parking brake set, and the key controlled so nobody unauthorized takes the machine.
• Watch overhead clearances, power lines, door headers, and sprinkler pipes when the boom or mast goes up.

Discussion questions

• Who on this crew is certified for the forklift, and who is certified for the telehandler? They are not the same card.
• Where do pedestrians and the machine share space on this site, and how do we keep them apart?
• Where is the load chart on our telehandler, and when did you last actually check it before a pick?

If something goes wrong

• If the machine starts to tip, stay in the seat, hold on, brace your feet, and lean away from the direction of the fall.
• If someone is struck or pinned, shut the machine down, call 911, and get trained help before moving anything.
• Report every tip, dropped load, and near miss, and park the machine until it is inspected and the cause is understood.

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