Most of the people who are inexperienced in warehousing and manufacturing industries are mistaken to use any kind of forklift to do any job. However, this is wrong. There is a wide range of forklifts and each has a specific job thus, we need to understand the difference between all the forklifts for which they are used.
When it comes to choosing the right forklift, most people get confused and think that any forklift can be used to do any job. But this is wrong, and there are several things that the forklift operators should keep in mind before they use the forklift for any specific job.
Depending upon the job you do, you need to understand which type of forklift would you require to do the particular task. This is the reason that forklift training in Toronto, offers both practical as well as theoretical courses to help you understand the particular purpose of each forklift. We have put together some major points that you must consider, before choosing the right forklift for your job.
“Let us start the list now:”
Application of the forklift- Indoor or Outdoor
The first and foremost thing which a forklift operator needs to understand is, whether they will be working indoors or outdoors. Before selecting which forklift they will be using, the location should be kept in mind, whether they will be working on rough floors or the smooth floors, whether they will be working with lift heights and what type of products do they need to carry.
The Capacity of the forklift
After knowing the location where the forklift will be used, you need to understand how much capacity do you need to carry. You need to understand which materials you are dealing with, which type of materials do you need to carry, how much weight do you need to carry, what is the width of the load that you will carry; all these things should be first looked forward to before finalizing the forklift you will be using.
Know the lift height
knowing the height of the lift is also important which will directly impact the load and the capacity that you are going to carry. The average height of everyday usage forklift starts from approximately 8 feet and goes up to 20 feet, However, many units go beyond these average levels. Therefore, you need to understand; how much height you need to carry and which forklift fulfills the requirements that you need. You also need to overlook whether there is any kind of restrictions to carry the load or not.
The Fuel type
Generally, forklifts have two types of fuel options- one is electric and the other is internal combustion. The electric forklifts are built by heavy lead-acid batteries which provides power for eight-hour shift forklifts for its continuous usage. The major advantage of the electric forklift is, it does not produce any emissions and is highly economical to use indoors which does not consume more fuel. Whereas, the internal combustion generally runs, on gasoline, diesel fuel, LPG, or CNG. The advantage of these forklifts is that they can be used in any environment and have a greater weight capacity. They can also be refueled while on the journey as compared to that of recharging the battery in the electric forklifts.
Selection of the tires
Another thing that the forklift operators need to consider is the tires. While choosing the forklift, operators must also look for there tires according to the environment they are going to work on. Whether they are going to work on smoother surfaces or the rough surfaces, the forklift operators need to stop understand which tore they should prefer for which environment. This will also help you to be safe and handle the forklift without any trouble.
Ergonomics
As the forklift operators need to be seated for long hours while they are working on the machinery, looking out for forklifts with high-quality and adjustable seating is also important. Investing more time in ergonomics will help reduce major injuries, like back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and many others which can be caused due to the tasks performed repeatedly on the uncomfortable seats of the forklifts.
Conclusion:
Before operating a forklift, you must understand that each forklift is used for a specific purpose. Considering the above-mentioned points before using any forklift for your job will help eliminate any risks related to the forklifts. It is also advised to first take proper forklift training from OSHA approved training center just like CN Forklift training in Toronto, that offers the best forklift training at a minimal cost.