Skills of a Stand Up Forklift Driver
The forklift or powered industrial truck is a heavy duty machine found in almost every factory and warehouse. These reliable and tough machines can raise and transport heavy items that are not able to raise manually. There is some specific training complete so as to be able to safely utilize a forklift. Nearly all employers prefer a high school degree. Because the forklift is a heavy piece of machinery it can be dangerous if not correctly handled, thus, the skills of the operator are extremely important.
Good Judgment
The forklift driver has to have good judgment to be able to estimate how much a load weighs. They need to be able to judge the height and width of the load in order to ensure that it would fit in a designed area. It is vital to have proper judgement in order to negotiate tight turns and move the forklift around obstacles in order to be able to capably drive the machinery in reverse.
Reflexes and Concentration
Necessary lift truck skills skills include quick reflexes and excellent hand-eye coordination. Like for instance, if a stack of things in a load or a pallet is off balance and about to fall, the driver must be able to respond quickly and try to fix the problem. In order to prevent accidents, a high level of concentration is needed when operating and working in the vicinity of these machinery.
Adaptability
Depending upon the task, one of the top skills of a forklift operator is to be able to adapt to their specific work surroundings. Depending on every job, this may change on a continuous basis. Several forklift tasks need operators to be exposed to dangerous machinery, damaging materials, loud noises, fumes or odors. Work surroundings and warehouses can be very busy places. The driver of the forklift should be able to keep a cool head and an eye toward safety overall. In addition, numerous forklift jobs require being outdoors to move items or unload supplies; thus, the operator must be ready at the likelihood of working in bad climate.
Machinery Maintenance
Forklift drivers have to understand how heavy mobile equipment works and have to be able and willing to follow directions. Operators need to learn how to double check an OSHA safety checklist and be able to make certain that the horn, the lights, the steering, the brakes and the forks, along with other components are functioning at an optimal level.
Forklift truck operators need to also understand how to properly maintain the vehicles and have to know when something is not working properly. An important part of lift truck truck training is also being able to explain machinery problems to mechanics.