The construction industry in the United States is the second largest on the planet. It encompasses about 10% of the world construction market. As of 1020 nearly nine million people worked in the American construction industry, according to the National Association of Home Builders. They work on commercial, residential and industrial buildings. A lot of this work puts the people who do it in situations that have the potential to be dangerous. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has specific guidelines for these workers to keep them safe. When workers need to use a forklift to reach higher elevations, it is recommended that there is a forklift safety cage.
OSHA has developed a series of rules and regulations to govern the use of forklifts and forklift safety cages. These are some of their rules for forklift safety cages.
- The Size: The forklift safety cages must be built to accommodate two workers at a time with room for the tools and equipment they will need to do their job.
- The Doors: Doors on forklift baskets must never be able to open by swinging outwards. They need to always open in. They need to have spring tension latches to keep them in place once they have been closed.
- The Floor: All forklift safety cage floors must be covered with a non-slip surface material. The outer perimeter of the cage needs to have a raised lip that goes around the entire outer edge of the cage.
- Attaching the Cage to the Forklift: There is a very specific way in which the forklift cage is attached to the forklift itself. Two safety pins attach the safety cage for forklift to the forks of the lift. The cage is then securely held in place behind the heels that are on each fork on the lift.
- The Load Limit: Every forklift has a set load limit. This will vary from model to model and differ with each manufacturer. When you get a forklift, whether you are renting it or if you have bought it, it is critically important to get to know the specific load limit for your equipment. Never assume that because you used one piece of equipment with a certain load limit that the next one you use will have the same limit. When calculating the weight that you are putting on the forklift, you have to factor in the weight of the safety cage for forklift, the tools and equipment your workers will use and the weight of the workers themselves. The importance of doing this cannot be overstated.
- Platform Securing: The platform needs to be securely attached to the carriage or backrest on the forklift. Sometimes, both the backrest and the carriage are attached to the platform. You need to be absolutely sure that the truck for the forklift can handle supporting the total weight. That means it has to be able to support the safety cage for the forklift and everything and everyone that will be inside. You want to be sure the forks will remain stationary after the forklift safety cage has been attached to the unit.
- Harnesses for the Workers: Anytime you have workers in a forklift safety cage, they must be given safety harnesses. OSHA requires these to be full body harnesses. They need to have their serial number and date they were manufactured somewhere that is clearly legible on the harness. Before each use, the harnesses need to be inspected. The workers who will be using them should also be fully trained to do so. They should also be inspected generally every six months to look for signs of wear and tear that may indicate they are no longer capable of doing the job they were bought to do. Typically, they are secured to the basket with ropes, ladder sleeves, web lanyards, rope grabs and retracting lifelines.
It is often very tempting for companies to reflexively hate and rail against all forms of government intrusion into the way they operate. OSHA rules and regulations are no different. The thing is that OSHA regulations really do keep workers safe. No one wants a worker to be hurt, or worse, when it could be prevented. Follow these rules for a safer workplace.