Safety Saves

look ma no hands look ma no teeth when this young cowboy grew up physically at least somehow he managed to wangle a job as a fork truck driver they call him Cowboy around the plant and for good reasons [Music] hey there look out [Music] [Applause] [Applause] the cowboy says anybody who can drive an automobile can drive a fork truck that's right but only a screw ball would do it the way the cowboy does it it's as easy as rolling off a log or a loading dock for that matter some fork truck Cowboys Die Young May they rest in peace certainly there was no peace on the job when they were alive unfortunately for the rest of us most of the fork truck cowboys live long and die hard and give everyone who works around them a bad time Cowboy tactics don't achieve anything either except a broken neck maybe there's a safer way much easier too set up an obstacle course like this practice a little and find out for yourself this looks like a mechanized performance of Ring Around the Rosie doesn't it and it's every bit of simple too when you get the hang of it then try this one after a few shots at it you'll surprise yourself how easy it is you don't have to Cowboy a fork truck around to make time with it smooth accurate driving and good judgment are all it takes [Music] there's no reason to do it the hard way when the easy way is the safe way or if you prefer another Viewpoint when the safest way is the [Music] easiest and it's actually the quickest in the long run by far the most efficient too you've got to be on the ball all right and have a good eye nice timing and average reflex action same as when you're driving a car but after a bit of this kind of practice you'll find that it won't be long before you'll be right up there among the best of them on the job practice is usually not practical or too risky that's why obstacle courses like these are the best place for your practicing you'll surprise yourself how quickly and easily you can become a first class driver a fork truck's just just about the easiest Automotive device in the world to drive and [Music] operate anybody who's physically and mentally capable of driving an automobile can learn to drive and operate a fork truck with just a few hours of practice and confident instruction when you get in the seat and get ready to start up and go you'll find all the same familiar driving controls that are in a car in approximately the same places too ignition switch starter button foot clutch light foot means you last longer and is rarely needed if you use a light foot on the [Music] accelerator oh yeah and there's a steering wheel Mighty important too especially when you're on the move incidentally on a fork truck the front wheels don't turn the rear wheels do the Turning so you steer with them that's about the only difference between driving a fork truck and an automobile and that's what makes it so simple and easy to drive a fork truck in reverse even for long distances like you sometimes have to do on the job on a standard fork truck you've got two more simple levers and that's all tilt and lift push the Tilt lever forward the upright tilt forward pull the Tilt lever backward the upright tilt backward pull the lift lever up go the forks and the load push the lift lever down they come again [Music] real complicated isn't it if there's a special device or attachment on the fork truck like the popular side shifter on this one of course there'll be a separate control for that merely shift one way or the other that's all there is to it on a few other devices there'll be more than one control like the rotating roll clamp here it has two one for the rotating action [Music] [Music] and one for the clamp action no matter how intricate the action of the device seems to be you'll find simple controls that make it easy to work if you're driving a fork truck that's equipped with din torque Drive man you're really in Clover no gear shift just a high low speed range selector the dinor pedal which controls power variations for inching in tight quarters a simple switch for forward and reverse and the accelerator how about that smooth [Music] HH and the electric fork truck is just as simple no clutch nor gearshift at all just in a electric switch forward cutout or neutral and reverse and the accelerator what could be easier than that and when you're in a towing tractor well as far as driving goes you're in a regular little automobile all of these machines are so easy to drive in fact that it's mighty easy to take them for granted and get careless with them so it's how you drive them that really counts and that starts with how you take care of them safety is simply a mental attitude and it starts with maintenance how you take care of your fork truck reflects the mental attitude with which you'll drive it accident statistics prove a remarkable direct relationship between the quality of Maintenance and Service and the number of accidents overall upkeep is a company responsibility preventive Main is the first step in preventing accidents but the final responsibility for the condition of your fork truck is up to you your personal safety starts right here little things like checking the water and oil and gas at the beginning of every shift and giving your buddy hell if he thoughtlessly starts to light that cigarette a caress spark could blow you skyh high right now keeping your machine clean especially wiping up any spilled gas before you start the engine being sure your hands are not wet nor greasy when you drive a slippery grip on that steering wheel spells trouble if your fork truck happens to get sick and tired of working like we all do sometimes don't Tinker with it and try to fix it that's for the mechanic to do report the trouble to your Foreman immediately it's up to him to call the mechanic and get you back in business as soon as possible same goes when you're on the move out on the job if your truck starts to develop any mechanical trouble any unusual noise or action that's not familiar to you no matter how slight it may be stop and park it as soon as possible to prevent further damage and report it immediately to your Foreman whoa there willy nilly being just half right is the same as being half wrong that's no way to leave your machine anytime whether there's anything wrong with it or not back up there boy now you're using your head when you park a fork truck for any reason whatever park it off the driveway or aisle where it won't interfere with other traffic and whenever you're going to leave the driver's seat even if it's just for a few seconds lower the forks flat on the ground or floor put the machine in neutral switch off the [Music] ignition and apply the parking brake then you'll never have to chase a Runway or take the wrap for the damages and injuries that may result from it whatever your job always know the rated capacity of the fork truck you're driving and don't take on more than it can handle you don't have to guess the capacity is permanently marked right on the name plate of the truck and if you're in doubt about the weight of a load ask somebody who knows before you handle it one question now may save a lot of embarrassing questions later the same goes for floor load limits a bad breakthrough can be the back breaker that ends your career if you want to go down use the ramp or elevator whenever necessary adjust the spread of the forks to the width of your load it's a simple adjustment to make and will give your load good lateral balance forks too close together will let the load tip that's the same reason you always use both forks for lifting both Forks all the way under the load wait a second Willie put it down Willie you forgot the most important part now you got it you raise the forks until they're snug under the load then you tilt it back and then you lift it tilting back shifts the load center of gravity toward the fork truck for safe steady handling so you always lift carry and lower a load with the uprights vertical or Tilted back never forward what happens if you don't well you hit a bump or a low spot or have to put on the brakes and you distribute your load all over the place for the same reason always avoid sudden stops only a Cowboy ever needs to make an abrupt stop anyway and never go down a ramp with your load in front with a load on your truck always back down a ramp that way you keep the load center of gravity against the uprights where it belongs and use the slowest speed your truck can go never travel with your forks raised more than a few inches otherwise they threaten the safety of everything in front of you when you're on the move with or without a load keep the forks down within a few inches of the ground or floor like this just high enough to clear normal bumps and Rises on the surface never like this when they're empty there are a pair of Spears that imperil people and property and when you're carrying a load with your forks raised higher than necessary you needlessly obstruct your own vision and sometimes move blindly into trouble so whenever you're traveling whether you're carrying a load or not keep those Forks down within a few inches of the floor or ground in other words no higher than just just enough to clear normal surface [Music] obstructions sometimes even with the forks down close to the ground a high or wide and bulky load will still obstruct your forward view don't take any chances Drive In Reverse and of course face backward too so you can watch where you're going forward or backward that's the first rule of safe driving incidentally when you see any kind of a traffic hazard in an aisle or driveway play it safe stop and remove it that's just good common sense in general if you practice the standard highway driving rules you won't go wrong with your fork truck for instance keep to the right at all times even inside the plant incidentally while you're driving don't ride the clutch nor pump the accelerator or dinor inching pedal those habits cause needless wear and early repair of course the a number one rule for all driving is face the direction of travel that's a nice way of saying watch where the hell you're going bud if she can turn your head she can break your neck when you're going forward eyes front and when you back up look back most every driver knows that but knowing it and doing it are too do different things it's particularly important when you're driving in reverse and you do a lot of that with a fork truck go slow around curves and on wet or slippery surfaces they're just as hazardous to fork truck driving as they are to automobile driving slow down or stop if necessary and Blow Your Horn at all blind Corners cross AES and exits the other guy can't see around the corner either and he may not have a horn you know when you think about it safety and courtesy have an awful lot in common stop look and listen at railroad crossings you can't win when you tangle with a freight car after you stop look and listen when you drive over the tracks cross them diagonally this way you reduce the jarring of your truck and load and the overall balance is much steadier uh-oh here comes the cowboy look out you fool oh well maybe someday he'll learn better of course while he's at it he may ruin himself or worse yet somebody else always drive at least three truck lengths behind other vehicles will we set at least three truck lengths look out Willie for you we'll have to make a special deal at least six lengths behind from now on with only half your wits about you you need twice the distance another thing absolutely no Riders on the forks or on the truck picking up hitchhikers is a mighty dangerous practice don't let them tempt you Willie we know it's tough to have to turn them down takes plenty of willpower all right and don't use your fork truck as a Personnel elevator unless now Cowboy is that nice H guess it is pretty nice at that especially from your Viewpoint what we started to say was don't use your fork truck as a Personnel elevator unless the worker is on a safety platform securely fastened to the forks never on a loose pallet or on top of a load or the bear Forks where one slip could mean his neck and your well you'd be up to it in trouble remember your fork truck steers from the rear so you have to watch rear end swing whenever you're near people or property and if you have an accident no matter how minor it is don't try a HIIT and run play Willie that wouldn't have happened either if You' looked lower those [Applause] Forks report it to your Foreman immediately and be done with it and of course if the accident involves personal injury don't fail to make a full written report as soon as possible not this soon however if you want to keep your hands and feet and who doesn't keep them where they belong inside the running lines of your truck and out from between the upright pull in that foot Willie and keep it where it [Music] belongs when you're operating a powered hand truck steer clear of jam sessions don't get yourself between the handle and anything it can pin you against for instance this cannot happen if you back the truck into position instead of leading it in here's another kind of jam session to stay away from trying to bring too heavy a load down a ramp with a towing tractor a load that's well within its draw bar capacity may be too heavy for its braking power on a downgrade if the trailers don't jack knife and pile up on top of you they may shove you into an accident at the bottom with any size load before you drive onto the top of a ramp shift to the slowest possible speed and keep it that way until the last trailer clears the bottom of the ramp always watch for unstable loads and stacks if you can fix them before you try to move them if you can't fix them don't move them and report them to whoever's responsible for them always watch overhead clearance or you might bring down the house right on top of your head watch for sprinkler heads too there's a time and a place for your shower bath and this ain't it in some operations if overhead clearance permits it's okay to lift or lower loads while traveling otherwise no Willie stop didn't you hear what we just said boy if overhead clearance permits what about that beam want the load on your head use care and caution when high tiering there are no profits in Falling stocks especially when you're the target why run the risk of having this happen to you when an overhead guard and load safety rack will prevent it if you drop a heavy load fast and stop it suddenly you unsettle the load the rear end of the truck bounces and you lose steering control too lower load slowly and stop them gradually saves wear and tear on your truck the load and your reputation as a driver never push nor butt a load into position with the forks or the rear end of your truck your fork truck's not a bulldozzer and the shock treatment can't possibly improve the load about all you can accomplish is to play hell with the merchandise and the ball temper keep clear of the edge of a loading dock Sky hooks are not included among the many special attachments for Fork trucks stay as far away from the edge as conditions permit and keep your eyes peel for the slightest Hazard one slip when you're too close to the edge and you'll be on your own flat on it probably with your fork truck on top of you know what happened to another boy who came out too fast like that once nobody told him they'd moved the box car while he was in the warehouse they never did get to tell him before you load or unload a highway truck or trailer block the wheels and set the brakes a carrier that goes AWOL can leave you and your perch in the Lurch Elementary you say yep that's right this guy never bothered with such Trifles [Music] though and another Cowboy bi the dust be sure that bridge plates into trucks trailers and Freight cars are sufficiently wide strong and secure just basic common sense that may save your neck that's right put in those stay pins one in each Corner before before you even walk on the plate here's what happened to one guy who forgot he won't be home tonight nevertheless if you take the correct precautions use common care and Common Sense you'll find few jobs easier and safer than driving a fork truck the fundamentals of good driving are always the same be careful C cous and alert be on your toes and use your head and above all don't Daydream keep your mind on your driving Cowboy we know Willie we're thinking the same thing right now but Willie watch where you're going well so long for a while if you live long enough Willie you'll learn what every good driver already knows that only fools break safety rules safety saves and it may save you [Music] you