The Summer Rush and Harvest Season are coming up. Every year, it’s the same...everyone runs faster, drives their equipment harder, hurrying to get it all done.

Meaning operators will push their trucks hard...on uneven terrain. Yards with slopes. Patched tarmac. Sand.

Uneven terrain is a safety risk. One of the most dangerous risks we face, in fact. Tip-overs are the #1 accident-related cause of death. 

Let’s keep our teams safe with these simple reminders.

The Risks of Driving on Mixed Surfaces

Two types of safety issues come from uneven terrain in the yard:

1. Navigating different surface types while operating equipment
2. Junction points between the different surfaces – concrete to tarmac, concrete to steel ramp, tarmac to dirt, and so on.

Each has their own hazards.

Mixed Surface Navigation:

• Potholes
• Debris (sand, rubble, broken pallets)
• Slopes
• Rain/ice/snow

Junction Points:

• Different elevations
• Cracks
• Patches
• Spills (oil, water)

Equipment operators can run into way too many potential safety incidents from these hazards.

1. Operator Slips
2. Forklift Slips
3. Boom/Scissor Lift Slips or Tilts
4. Sudden Drops/Jostling
5. Getting Stuck
6. Falls
7. Pallet Drops
8. Collisions

That’s a lot of risk from something we take for granted most days!

So how do we prevent these accidents? Mixed-surface yards aren’t going away, and we can’t re-pave or level off every yard we work on.

Worker safety, then, comes down to two things.

1. Awareness: Monitoring the yard and the operator activity within it, and
2. Protection: Cleaning, lighting, and communication to mitigate the risks you find.

Preserve Worker Safety with Two Yard-Aware Precautions

We can incorporate both practices into each workday. Here’s how to do it in two stages, the first during Pre-Shift, and the second while the shift is ongoing.

Pre-Shift Precautions

AWARENESS: 

• Encourage communication. Supervisors should ask all operators to report on the yard conditions as early in the shift as possible.
• Yard review. Inspect yard surfaces (all of them!) regularly.
• Weather watch. Rain, snow, even high heat…everyone must stay alert while navigating the yard under such conditions.

PROTECTION:

• Keep the same teams in the same places as frequently as possible. It allows them to get familiar with the yard…seeing & avoiding the cracks/drops/slippery spots.
• Sweep daily. Clear debris, sweep away sand, clean up oil spills, and mop up water. Before any forklift drives over it and slips!

On-Shift Yard Safety Practice

AWARENESS:

• Make it OK to slow down. Better for operators to take 10 extra seconds navigating safely, than an accident destroying hundreds of productive hours.
• Warning signs. Mark any dangerous areas you can’t clean up with a warning sign. Cones work great here.
• Non-slip mats. Place non-slip mats over surface cracks & slippery corners. Instant safety boost.

PROTECTION:

• Keep lighting high. Good visibility from all angles makes driving over uneven terrain easier.
• Spotters. Have spotters in place to call out hazards wherever the terrain is risky.
• Cleaning supplies. Keep brooms & mops in easy-to-reach places for everyone to grab when needed.
• Add product security. Make sure all pallets have proper ties & balance before they’re transported.

Factor the Yard into Safety Practices – It Helps Everyone!

In many yards, the unspoken order is still, “Hurry up and get it done!”

When it comes to mixed-surface yards, the costs you can pay by rushing too much are steep. Broken ankles. Damaged equipment. Destroyed product. And worse.

The sweet spot is having your operators move at a reasonably fast pace, in a safe manner. Keep the yard in mind when setting up and protect against what risks you see while working. That’s all it takes.

Until next month!

-The Forklifts Group Team

Deal of the Month

2023 Doosan GC30S-9 LPG - $33,461

For our April Deal of the Month, we have a special offer on a safe, reliable Doosan/Bobcat – the GC30S-9.

The GC30S has a 6,000# lift capacity and a three-stage mast. It’s a cushion-tire 4-wheel forklift, well-suited for long indoor shifts. They’re reputed to have the best visibility in all directions on the market—perfect when watching out for floor cracks or debris!

These are perfect for single-double work, indoor and outdoor. In fact, these often rent out during the summer for Harvest season.

We have one – only one – 2023 GC30S available in our Fresno location. You can pick it up for only $33,461.

To get this Deal, call Forklifts Group at 800-464-3225 and ask for the April Deal of the Month.