Overturn & Emergency Procedures

A counterbalance truck begins to tip over sideways. What should the operator do?

• AUndo the operator restraint and jump clear on the side the truck is falling towards
• BStay in the seat, brace against the seat back, hold on and lean away from the fall✓
• CStand up quickly and step off the back of the truck away from the mast
• DRelease the steering wheel and cover the head with both arms while remaining seated

Answer: The seat and the overhead guard form a survival space, and the truck will fall faster than a person can get out of the way. Stay in, brace yourself against the back of the seat, grip a secure part of the truck and lean away from the direction of the fall. Jumping is what kills: you land where the truck is going and are crushed between it and the ground.

Why must an operator not jump clear of an overturning lift truck?

• AJumping damages the overhead guard, which must then be replaced
• BThey will be prosecuted for abandoning control of work equipment
• CThe truck will land on its wheels if the operator's weight stays in the seat
• DThey are likely to be crushed between the truck and the ground✓

Answer: Someone who jumps lands exactly where the truck is going and is crushed between the machine and the ground, most often under the overhead guard. This is the specific outcome the operator restraint is there to prevent. It is entirely counter-intuitive, which is why it has to be taught and rehearsed rather than left to instinct.

What is the main purpose of the operator restraint fitted to a counterbalance truck?

• ATo prevent the operator sliding forward into the controls under hard braking
• BTo hold the operator steady so they can steer accurately over rough ground
• CTo meet insurance conditions rather than to serve any safety function
• DTo keep the operator in the survival space and stop them jumping in an overturn✓

Answer: HSE puts it plainly: in many situations the restraint is simply there to stop the driver trying to jump off an overturning vehicle. It keeps you within the protected zone formed by the seat and overhead guard. Where a restraining system is fitted it must be used — treating it as optional removes the one thing standing between an overturn and a fatality.

Since when have new counterbalance, rough-terrain and side-loading trucks had to be fitted with an operator restraining system?

• A1974, with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act
• B2002✓
• C1998, with the introduction of PUWER and LOLER
• D2013, alongside the current RIDDOR regulations

Answer: The requirement dates from 2002 for those types, with side-loaders covered on one side only. It does not mean older trucks are exempt from the issue: where a risk assessment shows a risk of overturn with the operator liable to be trapped between the truck and the ground, a restraining system should be fitted to an older machine too.

An older truck has no operator restraint. What determines whether one should be fitted?

• AThe age of the truck alone, since only trucks built after 2002 are required to have one
• BA risk assessment considering the overturn risk and the operator being trapped✓
• CWhether the operator personally requests that one should be fitted by their employer
• DWhether the truck is used indoors or outdoors during normal work

Answer: Age does not create an exemption. The test is whether the assessment shows a risk of the truck overturning with the operator liable to be trapped between it and the ground — and for most counterbalance work, it does. Where the assessment points that way, the restraining system should be fitted and then used.

A lift truck strikes a racking upright. What must happen?

• ACarry on if the racking is still standing and no load has fallen from it
• BStop, report it, and have the racking inspected before that run is reloaded✓
• CNote it on the check sheet at the end of the shift for the next inspection
• DMove the damaged pallets to another bay and continue using the racking

Answer: Impact damage weakens racking in ways that are not obvious from a glance, and a loaded run that has been struck can collapse later, often onto whoever is working nearby. Stop and report it, get the affected area unloaded and inspected by someone competent, and do not reload until it has been passed or repaired.

What should happen after a lift truck is involved in any collision, even a minor one?

• AIt is noted verbally to the next operator taking over the truck
• BIt is reported only if there is visible damage to the truck or the load
• CIt is reported and the truck checked for damage before it is used again✓
• DNothing, provided nobody was injured and the truck still drives normally

Answer: A knock that leaves no obvious mark can still have damaged a mast component, a hydraulic line or the steering, and "it still drives" is not an inspection. Reporting every collision also shows where the near misses cluster — the same blind corner appearing three times is the warning before someone is hurt there.

A load falls from the forks in a busy area. What should the operator do first?

• AReverse away quickly so the truck is clear of the fallen load
• BStop, keep people away from the load and the truck, and raise the alarm✓
• CAttempt to pick the load straight back up before anyone notices
• DContinue to the next job and report the spillage at the end of the shift

Answer: The immediate risk is someone walking into an unstable pile or being struck by something still shifting. Stop where you are, keep people back, and get help. Only once the area is controlled does anyone start recovering the load — and if the contents are hazardous, the spill response takes priority over clearing up.

A fire starts on a lift truck. What is the operator's first action?

• AShut down if safe, raise the alarm and evacuate — fight it only if trained✓
• BDrive the burning truck outside the building before taking any other action at all
• CAttempt to extinguish it immediately using whichever extinguisher is nearest to hand
• DWait beside the truck to direct the fire service when it arrives

Answer: Raise the alarm and get people out — that is what saves lives. Tackling a fire is only for someone trained, with the right extinguisher, on a small fire, with an escape route behind them. Driving a burning truck through a building spreads the fire along the route and can trap the operator, and it is a particularly bad idea on an LPG machine.

A raised mast strikes a sprinkler head. Why does this matter beyond the water damage?

• AThe truck's mast will need a thorough examination before further use
• BThe sprinkler pipework carries the building's electrical earth
• CSprinkler heads contain a gas that is hazardous when released
• DThe fire protection system is compromised until it is repaired✓

Answer: A damaged head floods the area, but the serious point is that the fire system covering that part of the building may no longer work as designed. That needs reporting immediately so the system can be isolated, repaired and brought back into service — and while it is out, the fire risk in that area has gone up and may need managing another way.

What should be done with a lift truck that has overturned, once everyone is safe?

• AReturn it to service once the operator confirms it drives and lifts normally
• BReturn it to service as soon as it has been uprighted and started up
• CUse it only for light loads until the next scheduled thorough examination
• DTake it out of service until it has been examined and passed as safe to use✓

Answer: An overturn can damage the mast, the chains, the overhead guard and the hydraulics in ways that do not show on a walk round or a test drive. The truck stays out of use until a competent person has examined it. The overturn is also reportable to HSE as a dangerous occurrence, and it warrants an investigation into why it happened.