Forklift Accessories

This is my second article about forklift accessories. The first article is titled Forklifts with Ladders. You may also be interested in this.

As a warehouse worker before I used to drive forklifts both gas and electric powered. While I enjoyed my warehouse job there are some facets of a warehouse that I do not particularly enjoy. The first one is the relatively tight spaces in a warehouse for forklifts and other pallet handling equipment to manoeuvre about.

Things can get tight especially if the warehouse storage racks become full and new pallets full of items have to be put in spaces normally used for manoeuvring forklifts. When this happens even simple forklift moves such as reversing can become dangerous where one backs up on storage racks which can easily bend and topple its heavy content of full pallets.

Another thing any warehouse employee has to bear is the temperature on a warehouse. Warehouse usually have no temperature control facilities except for cold storage facilities. In cold weather one usually just needs to wear extra cold weather clothing. In summer though the warehouse can become so warm that you sweat profusely while working inside.

Driving a forklift is similar to driving a car in tight traffic. You can make mistakes like accelerating the forklift and you end up hitting pallets and storage racks easily. You also can become uncomfortable that you make mistakes. I remember driving the forklift when it was so warm that sweat were trickling in my eyes that I cannot drive properly and nearly had an accident.

There are many things I could think of to improve the driver’s condition while driving a forklift. Here is a list of them:

Rear mirror: In tight conditions they can be handy. When forklift drivers have to look back they usually have to twist their bodies to do so. I can remember having a lot of difficulty reversing the forklift then looking back to check the rear distance of the forklift from whatever I was intending not to hit. This could be very repetitive and dangerous.

If the forklift have a rear mirror then I can just safely look at it without the need to twist my body to know if I am about to hit anything in the rear of my forklift. It is also handy to see if I will hit anything in a far distance if I reverse my forklift in high speed. It should be foldable so that when a clear view of the front of the forklift is needed it could easily be put away.

Rear Backing Sensor: This is also a piece of electronic device that already exists in many cars and one that can be applicable for forklifts. Forklifts have higher driving views than cars. Their driving view is similar to a four wheeled drive vehicle which already comes with rear backing sensors so why do we not install them on forklifts as well?

Safety Netting: This is insurance against falling objects especially those coming from warehouse storage racks. I saw a video about a forklift just passing through a column of storage racks when these storage racks collapsed. The entire column assembly of the storage racks collapsed that the full pallets buried the forklift including the driver.

This could be life threatening. Even a single box full of heavy items can fall and hit a forklift driver. I saw this happening to one of my coworkers when he was hit by several heavy boxes when the straps holding the contents of the pallet gave way. A simple safety net can be bought cheaply and could soften the damage falling objects can do to a forklift driver.

Mini Electric Fan: As previously mentioned working in a warehouse when it is very warm can be very uncomfortable and dangerous. A mini electric fan can cool down a driver so they can drive more comfortably and avoid dangerous driving. It should be powered by rechargeable batteries to be convenient.

Cup Holder: This is already present in many cars and for a reason. Many drivers including forklift drivers get thirsty doing their work. People need to drink regularly even while working. I remember having no place to put my water bottle when I was driving a forklift that sometimes I would put it in places where it could fall from the forklift or impede my driving.

Document Holder: This is seemingly insignificant but whenever I bring paperwork with me when I drive a forklift I normally almost always drop it. There are many forklift drivers who for example bring order form documents with them or even ingredients or products list to know that they are loading the correct items in their forklifts. Forklifts and their drivers can become dirty which can cause documents to become dirty as well which is not good.

Bucket for Small Goods: Forklifts can be used for travelling along the factory and warehouse especially if one is travelling long distances and carry items which can be tiring. Unlike cars with cargo trunk space forklifts have limited means of carrying small items too small for the forks to carry. A small bucket can be useful for this kind of job.

Trailer: Forklifts not only carry heavy loads with their forks but can also be used to push or pull heavy goods. A company can double the carrying volume capacity of a forklift by attaching a trailer as well. Sometimes it is even advisable to use a trailer connected to the rear of a forklift. Drivers have low front view visibility when their view is blocked by a very tall pallet.

Walkie Talkie Holder: Many companies still use walkie talkies to communicate with each other especially in large factories and warehouses. Carrying walkie talkies can be very inconvenient especially if you have to drop them from time to time as you drive your forklift. Forklifts should have walkie talkie holders to ensure that they do not fall off the forklift and get damaged.

Conclusion

I am sure anyone driving a forklift will be safer and more comfortable when they have these accessories. They also become more productive when they have these accessories. These products already exist individually and a company selling these products can easily sell them individually or as a group. They just need to convince the warehouse owners that it is beneficial not only to their drivers but also to their profitability.