Section 3 SummerWinds Forklift Training Manual

FORKLIFT SAFETY TRAINING MANUAL • LESSON 3 • MATERIAL HANDLING

Material Handling Introduction

The objective of material handling is to move, store, separate and handle material in a safe, efficient and productive manner which reduces: 1. Material handling costs 2. Production costs of the materials big handled 3. Property damage, wasted time 4. Injury and accident costs Safe, efficient, productive material handling increases: 1. Production capacity 2. Morale, cooperation, professionalism 3. Profits of the organization The company has and will continue to analyze the current material handling techniques and procedures to eliminate wasted time, effort and costs. In addition, SummerWinds is analyzing the material handling efforts to eliminate unsafe acts and conditions. As a forklift operator you will have intimate knowledge of what's happening, share your assistance and recommendations of the forklift operators. It is important that you provide input as an operator in the planning phase of new space layouts, new procedures or new methods of operations. As an operator you will want to help analyze the material handling operations, the following checklist of inefficiencies , will help you to keep operations safe. A Material Handling Checklist (next page) is a list of indicators that help in determining the effectiveness of the forklift safety program and safe operations. The checklist is to be completed when/if work is stopped due to any of these conditions. Correction is required before operation of the forklift. If the answers to any of these questions are YES, investigate, that portion, correct the situation and/or institute improvements to ensure safe operations. Proper material handling is essential to safe operation of a forklift, do not operate a forklift before correcting any unsafe conditions.

Lesson 3 • Page 32