Attachment Safety

It is important to note that when you use an attachment on a forklift, the load capacity will be reduced and the center of gravity of the forklift will be affected, making it less stable than it would be without the attachment. This is because you are putting weight in front of the fulcrum point (the point or support on which a lever pivots) of the forklift prior to picking up your load. It is therefore necessary to drive the forklift as if it were partially loaded, even prior to picking up the load.

For this reason it is advisable when working with any attachment to travel at a slow speed and make turns slowly and gently. The attachment you are fitting should be listed on the data plate giving you the capacity of the truck. It is extremely important that prior to fitting any attachment you must ensure that you are given the training required to enable you to be competent in the fitting, operating and removal of the attachment.

The following checks must be made before using an attachment on a forklift:

The attachment must suit the truck you are fitting it to, and must be suitable for the type of load you are lifting

It must be properly attached to the forklift with a suitable locking device

The data plate on the truck must allow for the use of the attachment

The main take away points from attachment safety is that you should always know what your forklift capabilities with an attachment on are, before you begin to operate it and you must have training for the specific attachment before use.