(Specific guards or other means that enhance safe operations would be determined through cooperation between the user and manufacturer.) Purchase, where appropriate, stand-up forklifts that have corner posts, extended backrests, rear post guards, or other features to prevent an under-ride from occurring.

Install a barrier, even with the outer edge of the storage rack (such as a curb or floor level shelf), so that the bottom of the forklift will strike the curb or shelf in the event of contact, preventing an under-ride from occurring.

Adjust the shelf heights so that the forklift�s overhead guard will strike the rack in the event of contact, preventing under-ride from occurring.Some potential ways to eliminate or control under-ride hazards, include: � Adjust the shelf heights so that the body of the forklift below the operator�s compartment will strike the rack in the event of contact, preventing under-ride from occurring. This is particularly important if the equipment operates in narrow-aisle racking. What you can do If you have stand-up forklifts with open operator compartments, it�s important to survey your facility for possible under-ride hazards. The judge sided with OSHA, saying that training alone could not protect workers sufficiently, nor would widening the aisles totally mitigate the hazards, as evidenced by the fact that a second incident occurred. Further, the company argued that after a previous under-ride incident, the company widened aisleways as a means to prevent further incidents. Add to this a imporperly maintained truck or super smooth floors, and you will have a recipe for disaster.Īnytime you are operating a stand up narrow isle truck, and you are in a situation of loss of control, STAY IN THE TRUCK AT ALL COSTS! Otherwise, the operator will get hurt.The company argued, among other things, that OSHA was preempted from using the General Duty Clause because the agency has standards addressing forklift operation and forklift operator training. In effect, anytime you are thrown form a lift truck, (stand up or otherwise) you are travelling too fast for the conditions. Should the operator(s) use the deadman brake to stop the truck all the time, this could cause premature wear to the brakes also making the brakes less effective. These types of units are mainly designed to use directional 'plugging' to stop and or change directions. If there isnt the right amount of preload on it, then the drive tire may not have the proper amount of load, and could cause a slipperly condition, especially, if the 'swing' of the truck was in a direction that aided in unloading the drive wheel, thereby limiting braking strength. The wheel can also be subject to improper adjustments of the casterwheel.

What type of floor surface are we talking about? How smooth is it? remember only one wheel drives and stops the truck. But there could be other factors as well. I agreee that operator error is most likely to blame. A latching rear door would also prevent the operator from being ejected if they become off balanced while standing on one foot. Ford is a company that utilizes rear doors on their stand up forklifts and they have foot and leg injuries because the door keeps the operators within the safer confines of the forklift. Does that mean that the operator should have been injured? Definitely not. There have been many operators who have been severely injured due to their lifted leg coming outside of the compartment and many who have been off balanced enough that they go outside the compartment. At that point they are standing upon one foot and hopefully have their hands on the steering tiller and the multifunction control. Generally when something happens the oeprator will raise their foot off of the deadman pedal to brake. I have reviewed several thousand incident reports for stand up lift trucks and they clearly show that operators can be ejected from end control stand up lift trucks during turns, collisions tipovers etc.

Narrow aisle stand up forklift