Materials handling vehicles are a familiar sight in many factories, warehouses and workshops around the globe. Despite being very common, operating one correctly requires skill and experience. Even though they may be operated many times every day, drivers can never afford to become indifferent to the risks associated with materials handling equipment. When used correctly, forklift trucks have the potential to massively increase business productivity and efficiency, however, failure on the part of the operator to heed machine warning systems and comply with safety standards can have devastating consequences.
Ensuring safe operation of materials handling vehicles is essential. Linde vehicles have several in-built safety systems to help protect drivers, increase operator comfort and facilitate greater workplace efficiency. These systems are designed to minimize personal risk associated with materials handling and reduce downtime due to accidents and operator injury.
- Wearing a personal restraint belt is vital to driver safety: it helps to ensure that operators are not thrown or tipped from the vehicle in the unfortunate event of the vehicle rolling or toppling. Linde’s unique Orange Belt system, combined with automatic sequential seat belt monitoring ensures that operators are wearing their seat belts correctly while driving the vehicle. If the seat belt safety system is being abused, both electronic recording and visual warning lights will alert factory personnel/managers. So highly technical is the sequential seat belt monitoring system, it will detect if the driver is entering and exiting the vehicle and attempting to bypass the system by doing up the belt then merely sitting on the fastened belt.
- Protecting the torso and limbs of the operator at all times is imperative. Linde takes physical protection to a new level with the addition of a side protection hoop guard which is mounted at shoulder height. This guard provides drivers with additional protection from objects outside of the truck, and also in the event of the vehicle rolling or tipping.
- Linde also offers other cutting edge safety features including the automatic activated parking brake for safer ramp loading and safety doors to protect drivers from both environmental dangers and falling objects.
- Operator training is essential for maintaining a safe and efficient workplace. Linde offers comprehensive safety training courses for workplace personnel to ensure that all staff are aware of the dangers associated with materials handling equipment and the safety standards that must be adhered to.