Forklift Controls
Amongst the most common pieces of machines you would see inside any warehouse is a forklift. These versatile machines are comprised of a vehicle along with two pronged forks at the front that can transport and carry heavy objects.
The standard lift truck is designed to function and move in small spaces and could carry things to and from high up places. Forklifts are still very dangerous machines and need to be utilized in a safe manner at all times, after correct training and certification has taken place.
When new to a lift truck, make time to read the owner's manual and familiarize yourself with the controls. Be sure to take note of the location of every specific control and what specific feature it functions. Most forklifts have two levers which control the forks. The first lever controls the height of the fork. In order to make the forks go down, the lever must be pushed forward. To be able to move the forks upwards, you simply pull back on the lever.
There is a second lever which controls the tilt of the forks. This tilting capability enables for better distribution of weight. This tilting action helps to keep objects stable and won't allow items to fall off while driving. Furthermore, it helps things slide off in a more balanced method while unloading.
In order to tilt the forks back, you pull the lever back and in order to tilt the forks forward, you simply push the lever forward. Several forklift models are outfitted with a third lever that controls the fork width. Every one of these levers is located just to the right of the driver's seat.
Before using the forklift, sit inside of it and go over what the controls do with a trained coworker. Be certain to do this when the forklift is turned off and not being used. Ask the trained expert if you have any questions about how something functions.
Observation is usually the best way to learn new forklift skills. So take time to observe a coworker showing the function of every control. On hydrostatic forklifts, notice that in order to make the machinery go, you utilize the gas. And if you want to make it stop, you just release the gas pedal. There is no brake on these kinds of lift trucks. There are several hydrostatic models which are complete with battery powered engines that turn off when the gas pedal is released. They start up when the gas pedal is pushed again.