Safe Operating Practice

When travelling with a load on a counterbalance forklift, the forks and load should normally be:

• ACarried at shoulder height so the operator can keep the load in clear view at all times
• BTilted fully forward to see the forks
• CCarried low, about 100-150 mm clear of the ground, and tilted slightly back✓
• DRaised to full mast height so the load clears any obstruction on the route ahead

Answer: Loads are carried low (roughly 100-150 mm off the floor) with the mast tilted back to keep the load secure and the centre of gravity low. This maximises stability and ground clearance while travelling.

If a load on the forks blocks the operator's forward view, what is the correct action?

• AStand up in the seat to see over the load
• BAsk a pedestrian to walk in front and guide the truck
• CTravel in reverse so the operator can see the direction of travel, where it is safe to do so✓
• DTravel forwards quickly to spend less time with a blocked view

Answer: When a load obscures forward vision, the operator should travel in reverse (where safe) so they can clearly see the direction of travel. If reversing is not possible, a competent banksman should be used to guide the movement.

What should an operator do before leaving a forklift truck unattended, even for a short time?

• ALower the forks fully, apply the parking brake, set controls to neutral, switch off and remove the key✓
• BPark it across a pedestrian walkway with the key in
• CLeave the engine running with the forks raised for a quick restart
• DLeave it in gear on a slope with the forks up

Answer: A truck is considered unattended when the operator is not in a position to control it, so the forks must be fully lowered, the parking brake applied, controls neutralised, the engine switched off and the key removed. This prevents unauthorised use and runaway movement.

Carrying a passenger on a forklift truck that is designed for one person is:

• AAllowed as long as the forks are fully raised and the passenger stands on them
• BAllowed provided the passenger holds on tightly to the overhead guard while seated
• CAllowed for short distances inside the warehouse provided the truck stays at walking pace
• DNot allowed, as there is no safe seat and it increases the risk of injury✓

Answer: Passengers must never be carried on a single-seat forklift because there is no safe seat or restraint, and they are at high risk of being crushed or thrown off. People should only be lifted using a properly designed and secured working platform.

What determines the speed at which a lift truck should be driven?

• AThe pace needed to meet the shift's agreed throughput target for pallet movements each hour
• BThe truck's rated top speed, which the manufacturer has already determined to be a safe figure
• CThe site speed limit and the conditions — surface, visibility, load and pedestrians✓
• DA fixed 10 mph limit that applies to all lift trucks on all UK sites

Answer: The site limit is a maximum, not a target, and conditions routinely mean going slower — wet floors, poor light, a blind aisle, an unstable load. Lift trucks have little suspension, a short wheelbase and a high centre of gravity when laden, so they punish speed harder than a car does. There is no single national lift truck speed limit.

Where must the operator keep their arms and legs while the truck is moving?

• AOutside the frame where they can be seen by pedestrians nearby
• BInside the operator's compartment at all times✓
• CWherever is most comfortable, provided the operator stays seated
• DResting on the mast so the operator can feel any load movement

Answer: The overhead guard and the frame protect you only if you are inside them. Limbs put outside can be crushed between the truck and racking, a doorway or another vehicle, and in an overturn an arm or leg outside the compartment is exactly what gets trapped between the truck and the ground.

How should an operator drive on a wet or slippery floor?

• AMaintain normal speed but brake harder and later to compensate for the surface
• BReduce speed, brake gently and earlier, and avoid sharp steering inputs✓
• CRaise the load slightly so that the truck's weight presses the tyres down
• DSteer sharply to test the available grip before entering the affected area

Answer: Grip is what stops the truck and what holds it through a turn, and on a wet or contaminated floor there is less of both. Slow down, leave more room, brake progressively and steer smoothly — a sharp input on a slippery surface can slide the truck sideways, which is a lateral tip-over waiting to happen with a raised load. Spillages should be cleaned, not driven around.

What is the correct way to get on and off a lift truck?

• AFacing away from the truck so you can see where you are stepping down
• BFacing the truck, using the steps and handholds, with three points of contact✓
• CJumping down clear of the truck, which is quicker and avoids slipping on the step
• DWhichever way is quickest, provided the parking brake has been applied

Answer: Slips and falls getting on and off are one of the most common lift truck injuries and one of the easiest to prevent. Face the truck, keep three points of contact — two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand — and use the steps and grab handles. Jumping down puts the whole landing load through your ankles and knees onto a floor that may be wet or oily.

May an operator use a mobile phone while operating a lift truck?

• AYes, provided it is a hands-free system rather than a handheld phone
• BNo — the operator must stop and park safely before using a phone✓
• CYes, for short work-related calls that are necessary for the job
• DYes, as long as the truck is travelling at less than walking pace

Answer: Operating a lift truck needs both hands and full attention on a machine moving among pedestrians. A phone call takes the attention even if it leaves the hands free, which is why hands-free is not the answer here. Stop, park the truck properly, then take the call. Most sites make this an explicit rule and treat breaches seriously.

Where should a lift truck be parked at the end of a shift?

• AAgainst a wall in the main pedestrian walkway, out of the way of other trucks
• BAnywhere convenient, provided the forks are lowered and the key is removed
• CIn a designated area, clear of walkways, fire points and emergency exits✓
• DIn front of the fire exit, so that it is clearly visible to the next operator

Answer: Where you leave it matters as much as how you leave it. A truck parked across an escape route, in front of a fire point or in a walkway creates a hazard for everyone else on site long after you have gone home. Park in the designated area, forks down, brake on, controls neutral, key out.

Should a lift truck be parked on a gradient?

• AYes, as long as the truck is left in gear with the engine switched off
• BYes, provided the parking brake is applied and the forks are fully lowered
• CAvoid it — and if unavoidable, chock the wheels as well as applying the brake✓
• DYes, provided the truck is left facing uphill with the load still raised

Answer: A parking brake is a mechanical device that can fail or be knocked off, and a truck that runs away on a slope is heavy enough to kill. Park on the level wherever you can. Where there is genuinely no choice, lower the forks fully, apply the brake, neutralise the controls and chock the wheels — the chocks are the part people skip.

A worker needs to reach a high shelf. May they be lifted on the forks?

• AOnly on a properly integrated working platform designed and secured for the truck✓
• BYes, provided that they stand on a pallet on the forks and hold onto the mast throughout
• CYes, if a second trained person stays at the truck's controls throughout the whole lift
• DYes, for short jobs, as long as the truck's forks are fully spread apart

Answer: People are lifted only on a working platform that is designed for the job and properly secured to the truck, with the truck itself suitable for the purpose — and that also brings the six-monthly thorough examination interval into play. Standing on a pallet or on the forks themselves has killed people. A second person at the controls does not make an unsuitable arrangement safe.

When should a lift truck operator sound the horn?

• AOnly when a pedestrian is already standing directly in the truck's intended path of travel
• BContinuously while the truck is moving, so that people always know exactly where it is
• CAt blind corners, doorways and junctions, and to warn anyone who has not seen them✓
• DOnly in outdoor areas, where engine noise is harder for people to hear

Answer: The horn is for the places where people cannot see you coming and for the moment someone steps out without looking. Sounding it continuously is worse than useless — people stop hearing it, and it becomes background noise in a building already full of noise. Use it deliberately, and slow down as well rather than relying on it.

What should an operator check before driving through a doorway or under a structure?

• AThat there is enough headroom for the mast, the load and any overhead fittings✓
• BOnly that the load itself will fit through the opening at floor level
• COnly that no pedestrian is standing directly in the doorway at that moment
• DNothing, as the truck's overhead guard height is always below door height

Answer: Mast height, not load height, is often the limiting dimension — and a mast that clears a door when lowered may not clear sprinkler heads, pipework or lighting inside. Striking a sprinkler head causes a flood and disables the fire system; striking pipework can release whatever is in it. Know your truck's closed and extended heights.