The warehouse setting can certainly be one of those “school of hard knocks” environments where you learn the ropes quickly and out of necessity. However, when an environment fosters informal training, it will eventually begin to subvert safety guidelines as it goes along unchecked.
You might think forklift certification is overblown. After all, your team members arrive to work in vehicles, so why can’t they drive a little old forklift around? The truth is that they can! However, without proper training, they will have just enough confidence in their abilities to get them into trouble. Forklift injuries are often lethal or at the very least life-changing.
Luckily, we offer comprehensive forklift training and certification. Are you still not convinced that forklift certification is important enough to outsource the professionals? Here’s why it’ll make your life easier.
Trained Operators are Problem Spotters
When you understand your equipment, you understand when it’s not operating the way it’s supposed to. Forklifts are no different. When they work, they work. However, the rigors of warehouse life can put a lot of wear and tear on a forklift.
If an operator is properly trained then they can spot an issue before someone hops into the cab and potentially causes an accident.
Certified Drivers Cause Fewer Accidents
Along those same lines, the better you are at operating a forklift, the fewer accidents you’ll cause. We aren’t simply speaking of accidentally throwing it in reverse or some other rookie mistake. Instead, we’re talking about actual defensive driving that can prevent dangerous accidents even if the forklift isn’t the cause.
Expert Driving Increases Efficiency & Productivity
When you’re a better driver you will naturally do your job faster. Fewer maneuvers, a faster speed, and careful handling all come together to produce a fleet of forklift operators that do their job more safely, yet do it in less time. In a warehouse, every minute matters; shave off a few with better drivers.
Fewer Repairs
When you aren’t misusing your equipment due to a lack of training, that equipment will stay in better shape for longer. A trained forklift operator will put less wear and tear on their vehicle, which means fewer repairs and a lower overall cost of maintenance for your fleet.
Increases a Forklift’s Longevity
A forklift in good repair is also a forklift that will keep on trucking. If you find yourself retiring your vehicles earlier than you should, it might be time for some formal forklift training to remind everyone how to drive and maintain a forklift so that it stays in working order.
You Need it, Anyway
The fact is, OSHA requires forklift certification for anyone that operates a forklift. You can ignore this requirement until you’re caught, or reduce your forklift training to a mere formality. However, you could also do it our way, which is the right way. When all is said and done, we can guarantee that you reap the benefits we just mentioned.
Better forklift drivers are safer, make you more money, and will take better care of your investment. When you train your employees, you are investing in the future well-being of your business.
Forklift operators are required by OSHA to be recertified every three years for the safe operation of their equipment. Is it high time for your training? Click here to learn more.