How to Use a Forklift
Important machinery used to move and raise various kinds of supplies and heavy loads are forklifts. This particular material handling equipment is utilized every day in our society. Forklifts are found all around from in warehouses, a building supply business, at airports and in storage units and department stores. When utilizing a forklift, it is important to be fully aware of your surroundings in order to be safe.
First, you should turn the key to power up the forklift. Become familiar with the levers located at the right of the steering wheel. These levers are what you will be using to transport an object from one place to another and also to maneuver the item to where it has to be positioned.
Secondly, move the forks down and up using the first lever. Pull the lever towards you in order to move the fork up. To be able to move the fork down, push the lever away from your body. Unless you are unloading or loading an object, the forks must ideally be kept near the ground.
Before picking up loads, use the other two levers and practice first. The second lever is used for tilting the forks forwards and backwards. In order to tilt the forks forwards, push the lever away from you. In order to tilt the forks back, pull the levers towards you. These forks are capable of tilting between 15 and 30 degrees.
The next thing to get used of is using the 3rd lever to control the forks movement from the right to left. From side to side, they could move between 6 and 12 inches. The levers move towards where you would like the forks placed.
When you are familiar, slowly approach the load you want to pick up. To be able to lower the forks, push the first lever away from you. Carefully drive forward until the forks slide beneath the load. Slightly lift the load by pulling the lever towards your body. If the load feels top heavy, be sure to slowly tilt the forks backwards.
When driving around corners go slow and get into the habit of honking the horn on the steering wheel in order to alert others of the approaching machinery. Slowly approach the area where you would be unloading. Utilize the levers to maneuver the load to your final destination.
When you know how to stop a motor vehicle then you know how to stop a forklift. Slightly step on the brake. It is found to the left of the accelerator.