June 14 is known as National Forklift Safety Day and is sponsored by the Industrial Truck Association. The association reports that forklifts are the most common type of powered industrial truck, with annual sales in the U.S. reaching more than 190,000 units. Forklifts are used to lift, move and place materials that can range in weight from a few thousand pounds up to 90 tons. So it is essential that these machines are operated correctly, and safely, each and every time.
The Ruan Consolidation Distribution Center (RCDC) in Otsego, MN, utilizes forklifts to serve our dedicated customers Bobcat and Arctic Cat. In line with our first Guiding Principle of Safety Focus, forklift safety is a top priority at the RCDC. All of our forklift operators are required to become Ruan certified before operating by completing a driving and written exam. In addition to making sure our team members are trained properly and continuously, our forklifts have advanced safety features.
One such feature is the blue light technology equipped on each forklift. Team members near a forklift are easily alerted to upcoming lifts by the blue light projected on the floor within 10 to 15 feet of the forklift. This also eliminates the distraction of constant horn beeping.
All Ruan forklifts are outfitted with iWarehouse technology, which allows additional tracking, management and reporting capabilities. They system ensures only qualified operators can run a forklift by requiring a badge swipe in order to get the forklift to work. Supervisors can also limit the forklift speed for new employees until they are deemed ready. Reports are sent every eight hours by the system, and other alerts are created as needed.
Check out these tips for forklift safety from Raymond Corp, who provides iWarehouse technology.
