70%的叉车事故可以通过恰当的培训和安全政策来避免。因为我们在这里帮助您理解风险及如何化解这些风险。

It’s estimated that 70 percent of these accidents could be avoided with proper safety training and policies. So here, we’ll help you understand who’s at risk and how to prevent some of the most common forklift accidents.

哪些人处于危险制作？Who Is at Risk?

我们正常的认知相反：叉车司机不是安全事故的唯一受害群体。将近80%的叉车安全事故与行人有关，这些人员必须和叉车一起或者在叉车附近，所以成为事故的受害者。

Contrary to what some may believe, forklift drivers aren’t the only ones at risk for serious injury. Nearly 80 percent of forklifts accidents involve a pedestrian, which means any employee working with – or in the vicinity of – a forklift is at risk of being the victim of a forklift accident.

统计显示有些行业造成了比其他行业更多的安全事故。下面根据行业来分析主要的事故趋势：

Statistics show that some industries experience these tragic accidents more frequently than others. Broken down by industry, major forklift accidents tend to occur in:

• 制造Manufacturing: 42.5%

• 建筑Construction: 23.8%

• 批发Wholesale trades: 12.5%

• 运输Transportation: 11%

• 零售Retail trade: 9%

• 矿业Mining: 1.2%

影响事故的因素Factors that Influence Accident Rates

一些列的因素会导致叉车事故，所以理解与管理这些因素就非常重要。有三类因素往往疏忽管理：人员、工作环境和机械结构和设计。

There are a number of factors that contribute to forklift accidents, and it’s important to understand what they are so you can appropriately manage them. They tend to fall into three categories: user, work environment, and mechanical/design.

人员风险User Risk Factors

• 超速Excessive speeds

• 行驶与提升同步Driving with an elevated load

• 不正确的操作（大幅度后仰、急转弯、急加速和急刹车等）proper driving techniques (backing up, turning, braking, accelerating)

• 不充分和恰当地提醒周边人员Improper or insufficient warnings to those in vicinity of the forklift

• 不流畅的沟通Poor communication

• 携带其他人员乘车Riding or giving rides on forklift or load

• 没有恰当地驻车Improperly parking the forklift

• 野蛮驾驶Horseplay, stunt driving, erratic driving

• 不恰当地堆垛货物Poor blocking of semi trailer wheels (see Wheel Chocking: Not a Waste of Time to learn more)

工作环境因素Work Environment Risk Factors

• 没有正确培训员工或培训不充分Lack of training or improper training for forklift operators

• 过大的效率压力Speed or stress due to pressure to keep production high

• 没有正确安排叉车及人员的工作Poor assignment of forklifts and operators

• 狭窄和拥堵的通道Narrow, crowded, or cluttered aisles

• 运输繁忙的区域High traffic volume in work area

• 不清晰和随意的叉车线路Unclear or undefined forklift lanes

• 比较糟糕的装卸月台Poor loading dock condition (find out Why Housekeeping Is an Important Part of Loading Dock Safety)

机械结构及设计Mechanical or Design Risk Factors

• 没有正确的工具、属具及附件Lack of proper tools, attachments, or accessories

• 不正确的叉车维保Poor forklift maintenance or inadequate servicing

• 不正确的或功能异常的安全装置Inadequate or malfunctioning safety devices

• 叉车转向、刹车或转动系统故障Malfunctioning steering, brakes, or transmission

• Blind spots or obstructions blocking driver’s view

• Poor layout of controls and displays

常见故障及预防措施Common Accidents and Preventative Measures

Though forklift accident rates vary significantly by industry, the types of accidents tend not to. Nearly all incidents involving forklifts can be broken down into one of four categories:

• 碰撞Collisions

• 返厂Toppling

• 坠落Drops and falls

• 货架事故Racking incidents

Here, we’ll outline the most common forklift accident scenarios and offer some strategies you can employ to avoid them.

1. 撞击行人Striking or Crushing a Pedestrian

叉车死亡事故中，36%为行人死亡率。20%事故中，受害者被挤压，同时16%为叉车撞击。

Pedestrian deaths account for 36 percent of forklift-related deaths. In 20 percent of cases, the victim of the accident is struck, while the remaining 16 percent are crushed by the lift truck.

这些事故发生在叉车和工作人员在同样的区域，因此造成了碰撞。因此需要清晰的人车分流。

This type of accident often happens when forklifts and ground workers are working in the same space or when forklifts are moving and collide with pedestrians. This highlights the need for clear and separate paths for lift trucks and pedestrians.

如何预防How to Prevent It

物理分离Physical barriers that separate forklifts from pedestrians are one of the best ways to prevent collisions with pedestrians. While brightly painted lines on the floor are a good start, they don’t do anything to actually prevent an accident from occurring – they’re merely reminders.

Begin by evaluating intersections and high-traffic areas to identify the most dangerous zones. Decide whether there are areas that should be designated specifically for pedestrians or forklifts only. Where appropriate, create walkways for pedestrians and erect gates or rails to prevent them from crossing into the path of forklifts, and vice versa.

Since some forklift-pedestrian accidents occur because of low visibility, hi-vis safety clothing can also go a long way to helping reduce incident rates. Pedestrians should wear bright colored clothing that alerts drivers to their presence, and make eye contact with drivers to ensure they’re seen. Drivers should also have sensors, horns, lights, and mirrors on their lift trucks, and should sound the horn when turning corners or moving around blind spots.

2.叉车翻车 Forklift Overturns

Forklift overturn is the leading cause of fatalities involving lift trucks. There are a number of causes for overturns:

• 大幅度快转弯Improper turning

• 行驶与提升同步Driving with an elevated load

• 超速Driving at excessive speed

• 急拐弯、停车等Turning, stopping, or giving the lift truck gas too quickly

• 坡道行驶Driving on an incline

• 不平或湿滑路面Driving on uneven or wet surfaces

如何防止How to Prevent It

Drivers should always follow the speed guidelines provided by their employer or the vehicle manufacturer.

It’s important to take turns carefully and avoid stopping or starting suddenly, which can throw the forklift off balance.

Forklifts should never be overloaded with product, as the weight can cause the truck to tip forward.

When you have a load on the truck, keep it as low to the ground as possible – only raise it enough to clear the floor surface. And it’s never a good idea to raise or lower the load while the truck is in motion.

Go slowly when moving up or down slopes, and always move straight forwards or backwards – never at an angle.

3.叉车碰撞 Forklift Collisions

We’ve already talked about forklifts striking people – but what about walls or other pieces of machinery? This is one of the easiest types of forklift incidents to imagine, and its particularly prevalent in areas that are crowded or cluttered. It can result in serious injuries and damage to stock.

Some of the most common collisions include reversing into equipment or other lift trucks and striking the ends of racks.

How to Prevent It如何防止

叉车操作员需要确认完整的360度视野，在从停车开始加速动作时，时刻保持视野与行驶方向一致。

Forklift operators should complete 360-degree visual checks before accelerating from a stop, no matter which direction they are going. Always look towards the direction of travel, and eliminate distractions that could take attention away from the task at hand: driving.

Drivers should navigate slowly and carefully around row ends, but employers can help by using steel barrier rails or structural bollards that prevent lift trucks from hitting the racks. Since forklifts move up and down aisles to retrieve product, it might be prudent to extend the rails down the entire length of them.

Employers should also ensure that any area in which forklifts will travel are well lit and free of obstructions.

以下的一些方法帮助预防发生装卸挑板的分离事故。
There are a number of ways that loading dock separation accidents can occur, and about 7 percent of forklift accidents take place when the truck is driven off a loading dock (learn about 5 Loading Dock Catastrophes – And How to Prevent Them).4. Loading Dock Separation

The most common incidents include:

• 箱车慢速滑动Trailer creep: the repeated impact from forklifts going in and out of the trailer causes it to creep away from the dock

• 提前离开Early departure: when a truck driver drives away while a forklift is entering, leaving, or still inside the trailer

• 集装箱撬动Trailer pop-up: when the weight of product and the forklift during loading or unloading causes the trailer to shift at the nose

• 卡口传动故障Landing gear collapse: when the leg of the landing gear collapses, causing the trailer to tip sideways or forward

如何预防How to Prevent It

正确预防方法是一定要确保停止的货车被可靠地限制。

The best way to avoid loading dock separation – and keep forklift drivers safe – is to make sure that parked trailers are properly restrained. Hooks, wheel locks, and wheel chocks offer layers of safety to prevent a parked trailer from creeping forward under the weight of product and forklift movement.

There should also be clear communication systems in place so that drivers know when it’s safe to enter the trailer and begin loading or unloading procedures. Lights can be great tools to use, since they give drivers a clear indication of when they can proceed into the trailer bed.

结束语Conclusion

我们需要清晰地认知到叉车作业包含了大量的人员风险。大约85万件安全事故发生在这个国家（美国），所以关键是要让雇主和员工理解风险，从而让他们采取有效行动去管理这些风险。

It should be clear at this point that forklifts represent an enormous threat to worker safety. With more than 850,000 of them being used at workplaces around the country, it’s essential that employers and workers alike understand the hazards they pose and take every reasonable step to effectively manage them.