Section 4 SummerWinds Forklift Training Manual

FORKLIFT SAFETY TRAINING MANUAL • LESSON 4 • OPERATOR MAINTENANCE

Operator Maintenance Introduction Operator maintenance will improve safety, increase productivity and cut maintenance costs . An operator maintenance program is designed to prevent major maintenance problems , downtime, "putting out fires" type maintenance and excessive expenditures for spare parts.

AN EXAMPLE: Michelle, the operator for forklift #23, inspects her forklift and notices the rubber on the left front drive wheel is tearing from the metal rim. It is not a safety hazard and it doesn't affect her driving, but she knows that these tires should be replaced. She promptly notes the deficiency on her daily operator's checklist and she also notifies her supervisor.The supervisor in turn notifies the mechanic and he verifies that the tire is getting worn and should be replaced.The mechanic schedules the tire replacement at the same time the forklift will be in the shop for a 100-hour service. Because Michelle reported this deficiency before the tire became a safety hazard, the mechanic had plenty of time to: ‹ Order the necessary parts. ‹ Schedule the tire replacement at the same time as other maintenance. (This reduces downtime and extra labor charges.) ‹ Schedule workloads, mechanic availability to keep the shop running in a smooth orderly manner and reducing the amount of emergency repairs. As an operator you must be trained to perform operator maintenance and that training must be enforced. A maintenance programs is often ineffective or non-existent because operators may overlook maintenance and supervisors do not follow up or control the program. It is not enough to be a trained operator, follow up with supervision with any maintenance needs. Safety is everyone’s job.

Lesson 4 • Page 36