Workplace health and safety should always be a top consideration of your business. Protecting the welfare of your employees is not just about a taking the moral high ground: it also helps you maximise productivity, minimise illness and injury, fulfil legal obligations and reduce the risk of claims for workers’ compensation.

While there are many aspects of the workplace that can be scrutinised for optimum health and safety procedures, here are a few handy accessories that you can use to ensure your forklift operates safely.

Ergonomic chair

Forklift drivers often work long shifts at the wheel of a forklift and all sorts of other machinery. Extended periods spent in the seat can cause back pain and all sorts of other physical strains and injuries. Ergonomic chairs are specifically designed to offer adequate comfort and support to drivers as they operate the forklift over prolonged periods, thereby improving output and reducing the risk of injury.

Blue lights and strobe lights

Forklifts are often operated in areas that are shared with other workers and pedestrians, which is why visibility is of paramount importance. Most newer forklifts include some form of safety lights as standard, but the addition of a blue or strobe light can make a world of difference. A blue light is a LED spotlight that can be attached to the forklift and aimed at the ground in front or behind. This is a great accessory that drastically improves awareness around corners and grabs the attention of workers who are walking with their head down.

Strobe lights can also be attached to the forklift to further improve awareness and alert any daydreaming workers or pedestrians.

Load scales

In one of our past blogs, we mentioned that you should never exceed the maximum capacity of your forklift by overloading it. But how can you be sure that you never go above the stipulated weight limit? Specially-designed load scales can be used as a simple but effective assurance that you aren’t putting the forklift or the operator at risk.

Some load scales are designed to be used much like standard scales in your kitchen or bathroom, where the load is placed onto the scale and lifted off once weighed. Other designs are built into the forklift to display the weight as it is being carried.

Safety vests

If you don’t have a few of these lying around, you absolutely need to get some. As visibility is one of the most crucial aspects of forklift safety, providing the operator with a safety vest is a great way to ensure he or she can be seen at all times. Other workers should also don a vest or some other form of high-visibility clothing to ensure the driver can spot them easily.

Seat caddy

Seat caddies attach to the seat of the forklift and have pockets to hold small items like phones, tools and water bottles. This allows the driver to safely store equipment without holding onto anything other than the steering wheel, while also removing distractions that may affect their concentration.