Kicking tires and checking oil levels isn't just for long road trips: forklift operators should perform a thorough inspection to ensure a forklift is safe before operation. Here are the steps employees and employers should follow before getting behind the wheel:

• Examine the tires and oil levels
• Check for water, oil, or radiator leaks
• Ensure forks are straight and not cracked
• Test brakes, lights, horn, and steering wheel
• Look for obstructions, uneven surfaces, overhead obstacles, and other potential hazards

There are three primary dangers forklifts pose to workers in a facility:

• Forklifts compete for space with inventory and pedestrians: The potential for accidents between forklifts and pedestrians increases when aisles, pathways, and storage areas aren’t clearly marked.
• Pedestrians wander into harm’s way: Accidents are more likely to occur when forklift operators don’t drive with best practices in mind—or when safety controls don’t remind pedestrians to be careful or avoid an area altogether.
• Loads fall over: A forklift’s load may tip over when the operator hasn’t inserted the forks under the pallet as far as possible, loads are imbalanced or unsecured, or when the operator drives with the load higher than recommended.

Knowing those dangers, forklift drivers can take several steps to keep themselves and their coworkers safe while operating a forklift. Here are a few common actions to improve forklift safety:

• Pay attention: Watch for posted speed limits, warning signs, intersections, and floor markings. Operators should also steer clear of areas where forklifts are prohibited or restricted.
• Keep an eye on where you’re going: Always look in the direction you’re traveling; if a load blocks the view ahead, travel in reverse.
• Alert others of your presence: Use the horn at intersections and where pedestrians may be present.
• Ensure the load is balanced: An imbalanced load can fall off or cause the forklift to tip over.
• Drive safely: Ensure both forks are as far under the load as possible before lifting and drive with the load as low as safely possible.

Though OSHA does not explicitly require any kind of floor marking, its standard on materials handling and storage (29 CFR 1910.176), OSHA says simply: “Permanent aisles and passageways shall be appropriately marked.” If forklifts consistently travel between certain areas in a facility, marking those areas helps improve safety and brings you into OSHA compliance.

Beyond that broad requirement, these OSHA interpretations can help steer floor marking decisions:

• The floor markings used to define an aisle may be any color, so long as they make it clear the area is an aisle.
• Floor marking lines should be 2 to 6-in. wide; any width of 2 in. or more is acceptable for ensuring maximum visibility.
• Aisles should be a minimum of 4 ft wide, or at least 3 ft wider than the largest piece of equipment utilized within the aisle.
• When appropriate or necessary, OSHA allows facilities with unusual surfaces (like dirt floors) to use materials or methods other than paint and tape (most commonly used in conventional warehouses and stockrooms).

OSHA’s standard for walking and working surfaces (29 CFR 1910.22) sets no guidelines for specific floor marking colors, but the agency’s standard for safety color codes (29 CFR 1910.144) specifies that red and yellow must be used for marking physical hazards.

• Red is for fire-related hazards (identifying fire protection equipment and containers of flammable liquids, for instance), as well as emergency switches, bars, and buttons on hazardous machines.
• Yellow indicates caution and to mark physical hazards (including stumbling, falling, and “caught in-between”).

Take steps throughout your facility to keep workers safe while others operate forklifts. Here are a few ideas:

• Use visual communication: Use safety signs, traffic control signs at intersections, aisle markers, and forklift procedure labels with premade signs, custom labels, or a combination.
• Be alert: Nearby workers should watch for unsecured or imbalanced loads, listen for horns, keep away from areas where pedestrians may not be allowed, and be able to make eye contact with any forklift driver in the area.
• Use lockout/tagout devices (LO/TO): Use steering wheel covers and padlocks when necessary. LO/TO equipment prevents forklifts from inadvertently starting up during service or maintenance.