Your Complete Guide to Forklift Weight Capacity

When driving an overloaded forklift, what immediate risks are posed to stock and our equipment?

Here’s how your stock or forklift could get damaged through overloading:

If the load is fragile and hits the ground hard enough under all its own weight, it could get ruined. The same goes for the forklift. It could tip over and land on its side or back, which could cause serious damage to the machine.

Both scenarios could lead to expensive losses and repairs, which would ultimately hurt your bottom line.

What Potential Injuries Stem From Exceeding my Forklift(s) Weight Capacity?

Worse than damaged goods or machines are forklift injuries and fatalities. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), forklifts were the source of 7,290 nonfatal injuries in 2020. Here are the main ways that people end up hurt by overloaded forklifts:

1. Being inside a forklift that tips over: If an overloaded forklift flips over while you’re in it, you could end up seriously hurt by the fall, stuck inside the machine, or worst of all, crushed between the forklift and the ground.

To prevent this from happening, always wear a seatbelt, avoid tilting the forklift too far forward or backward, use extreme caution on inclines and ramps, avoid sharp turns, and drive slowly.

2. Getting hit by a forklift: Another way an overloaded forklift could hurt or kill someone is by hitting them. That is, the impact of the heavy forklift running into another worker could lead to injury.

To prevent hitting anyone with the forklift, try not to drive near other workers, follow designated driving routes, obey all safety rules such as speed limits and traffic signs, sound your horn to alert others where you are, and look both ways at intersections.

3. Getting crushed or run over by a forklift: Most forklifts weigh several thousand pounds. As a result, one of the most common causes of forklift deaths is getting crushed by one.

To help prevent this from happening, always wear a seatbelt, never allow workers to ride on the forks or on top of the forklift, stay inside of the operator’s compartment at all times while driving, and always check the route for hazards.

At the end of the day, overloaded forklifts are an unnecessary cause of injury and death. What makes forklift accidents especially tragic is that they are avoidable.

So, don’t let your forklift drivers make reckless mistakes. Train them well and make forklift safety a top priority for your business.