Unplanned equipment downtime is one of the highest hidden costs in a warehouse. The ripple effect of a single forklift breakdown can delay shipments and lead to missed deadlines and frustrated customers. Aside from the immediate repair expenses, businesses also face lost productivity, increased labor costs due to inefficiencies and potential safety risks from malfunctioning equipment. Recognizing and mitigating these hidden costs is essential for maintaining a smooth and profitable operation.
Let’s discuss the leading causes of forklift failure and how a proactive planned maintenance program can increase fleet efficiency and prevent costly interruptions.
Leading Causes of Forklift Failure
A thorough preventive maintenance strategy shifts the focus from reactive repairs to proactive care, ensuring your fleet remains operational and safe. This approach involves regularly scheduled inspections, routine servicing and timely replacement of worn components before they have a chance to fail. Here are the leading causes of forklift failure to keep in mind when you set up a preventive maintenance plan:
Improper Equipment Maintenance
Mechanical faults such as deteriorated brakes, compromised hydraulics, or damaged forks/tires can lead to forklift accidents and downtime. A mandatory forklift PM checklist for daily inspections of critical components identifies issues immediately, which allows for them to be addressed right away and prevents failure due to poor maintenance. Partner with your reliable service provider, Eastern Lift Truck Co., for thorough maintenance and timely replacement.
Insufficient Training
A significant number of forklift accidents are directly linked to insufficient training. Operators who lack a thorough understanding of weight distribution, safe maneuvering techniques, or site-specific hazards are more likely to make costly errors. Without proper instruction, operators might fail to conduct pre-shift inspections or improperly handle loads, which can cause avoidable collisions, product damage and worker injuries.
Untrained operators often contribute to premature wear and tear on the machinery, leading to increased maintenance costs and reduced equipment lifespan. Eastern Lift Truck Co. offers comprehensive forklift operator training that encourages compliance with safety regulations and fosters a culture of responsibility and safety, significantly reducing operational risks.
Speeding or Reckless Driving
Excessive speed or aggressive maneuvering reduces reaction time, increasing the risk of accidents. Establish and post strict speed limits or implement speed governors or geo-fencing to discourage reckless driving. Managers must monitor operator behavior and address unsafe practices promptly. If safer practices are not implemented, accidents can cause unnecessary downtime to the equipment and overall operations. Contact Eastern Lift Truck Co.’s Fleet Department for assistance with telemetry options including automatic speed control and collision avoidance.
Unsafe Surfaces
Potholes, spills, slippery surfaces or inclines may cause tip-overs or load shifts. Ensure operating surfaces are always clean, dry, and well-maintained to suit operational protocols. In environments where specified, it’s crucial to ensure that wet areas are marked with caution signs and to implement policies for handling spills. Forklifts fitted with the correct tires for the specific flooring and environment, paired with careful forklift operation, reduce the risk of forklift failures caused by accidents on unsafe surfaces.
Incorrect Use of Attachments
Using the incorrect attachment or failing to secure it can destabilize the forklift or cause damage. Operators must receive specialized training for each attachment and regularly inspect attachments for damage. Attachments should be stored safely to prevent improper handling. Having the right mix of attachments for each job can also help operators be more productive through the day and decrease downtime.
Unsecured or Unstable Loads
Unbalanced, tall, or improperly secured loads risk falling onto machinery, workers, or inventory. Raise loads only within the rated capacity noted on the unit’s data plate and ensure they are centered, balanced and secured. Workers should only use pallets in good condition and be sure that loads are positioned against the load backrest and secured with straps when necessary. When operators pile loads too high or stack unsecured loads, serious accidents and forklift damage can occur.
Obstructed Vision
Large loads can significantly obstruct an operator’s view, creating hazards. The operator should remember to drive in reverse if the forward view is blocked and use spotters in congested areas or blind spots. Aisles should be unobstructed and well-lit to maintain clear visibility. The use of aftermarket safety products like lights, pedestrian awareness cameras, and alarms can make navigation safer for everyone. Operators sometimes make the mistake of not slowing down when vision is restricted, and this can cause injuries, destruction of goods, and crashes, which precipitate downed equipment and the need for additional repairs.
Inefficient Warehouse Layout
Poor design and signage choices in a warehouse, such as unmarked loading zones or obstructed aisles or exits, can increase the risk of accidents. Operators may experience confusion, causing a greater risk of collisions among forklifts, pedestrians and static obstacles. When traffic patterns are unclear or when warning signs are absent or ignored, operators are left to navigate challenging environments without guidance. It can exacerbate the risks of speeding, sudden stops, or misjudgments.
Overturning Forklifts
Handling a forklift safely requires operators to have their full attention on the task at hand. Operators must move around corners carefully, avoid sudden movements, use extreme caution on ramps and not exceed weight limits. They should always wear seatbelts and keep loads centered, balanced and low. Operator fatalities may occur due to excessive speed, unbalanced loads, inclines, or a poor understanding of the center of gravity, so it is imperative that safety protocols are followed. Failing to follow these protocols can lead to overturned forklifts and employee injuries.
The Importance of a Pre-Check Routine
Research shows that preventive maintenance reduces equipment failure rates by 30 to 50 percent and significantly extends machinery lifespan. Here are some strategies to help lower the risk of forklift failure and maintain safe operation in warehouses:
- Forklift preventive maintenance: It’s important to conduct regular, scheduled inspections and implement a consistent maintenance program. These include checking for wear and tear on critical components like tires, forks, lift chains and brakes, as well as monitoring CO emissions. This proactive approach identifies and addresses small issues before they escalate into major failures.
- Advanced fleet management: Implementing advanced technology such as cloud-based telemetry, wireless monitoring, remote hour-meter tracking and fault-code and impact sensing can help manage equipment ownership costs and provide early warnings of potential issues.
- Comprehensive operator training: To protect your workers and assets, invest in OSHA-compliant training and certification programs for forklift operators. Training focuses on promoting safe operating habits, which reduces accidents and premature wear on machinery.
- Carbon monoxide emissions testing: Regular CO emissions testing for internal-combustion forklifts is an important part of keeping equipment running safely and efficiently. It also helps reduce the likelihood of issues arising from poorly tuned engines.
- Safety assessments: Safety assessments play a part in identifying and eliminating workplace hazards before they escalate.
- Emergency preparation: Even with proactive maintenance, emergencies can still occur. Partnering with a service that offers prompt emergency response allows you to more quickly address and resolve equipment breakdowns.
How Our Proactive Planned Maintenance Programs Can Help
Our proactive planned maintenance programs are designed to give you peace of mind, helping to keep your forklifts running smoothly and reliably. We do this by focusing on regular, thorough inspections and evaluations of all those vital components. With more than 600 service technicians and a $20 million parts and tire inventory, we have the resources to deliver high-quality service and keep equipment in optimal condition.
Our technicians carefully check key parts like tires, load forks, lift chains and brake components for any signs of wear. This means we can replace or repair them right when needed, long before they might cause an unexpected problem. For internal combustion forklifts, we keep a close eye on carbon monoxide emission levels. This helps us spot any tuning or performance issues early, ensuring your equipment runs efficiently and safely for everyone.
Through these detailed inspections, our team can catch potential service needs and safety concerns when they’re still small. Addressing these minor issues proactively helps prevent them from becoming bigger, more costly headaches or serious safety incidents down the road.
We also offer a range of safety training courses, including OSHA 10- and 30-Hour General Industry & Construction, Lockout/Tagout, Fall Protection, and Battery and Charger safety, all contributing to a safer work environment and less equipment misuse.
Contact Eastern Lift Truck Co. Today
We provide OSHA-compliant training and certification programs for forklift operators, covering various equipment types. Our team also offers a 360-degree assessment of your operation. Partner with Eastern Lift Truck Co. and boost your forklift safety, prevent forklift downtime and keep your operations running smoothly. Let our comprehensive solutions work for you.
Contact us today to schedule your safety assessment or learn more about our proactive maintenance and training programs!
