Interested in providing forklift training with Virtual Reality? I'm interested in Ludus VR. Handling a forklift truck entails risks to workers' health, such as overturns or collisions. According to organizations like the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), these accidents pose a deadly danger.
What is a forklift truck?
A forklift truck is a vehicle used to transport, lift, and deposit palletized loads in logistics or industrial environments. These machines streamline and facilitate the handling of heavy loads, although improper use can lead to serious accidents.
Main risks with forklift trucks
Here are some common risks associated with operating a forklift truck:
- Forklift truck overturns.
- Collisions, runovers, and entrapments.
- Falling of the load being transported by the forklift.
- Falls of people being transported or lifted by a forklift.
Accidents due to forklift truck overturns, the most dangerous
Overturning is one of the most serious and dangerous accidents that can occur when operating a forklift truck. If the machine overturns, due to reasons such as incorrect load placement or driving on uneven ground, the worker can become trapped underneath it.
According to NIOSH data, 51% of accidents due to forklift truck overturns have serious consequences for the worker. Additionally, they assert that at least 16% of these incidents result in fatalities.
On the other hand, OSHA estimates that 42% of all fatal accidents involving forklift trucks are due to crushing after a tip-over.
Deaths and serious accidents with forklift trucks in the United States
An OSHA report states that forklift truck accidents cause about 34,900 serious injuries each year in the United States. Additionally, they estimate the number of annual deaths due to these accidents to be 85.
Regarding the total number of injuries related to these machines, OSHA's estimate for the United States ranges from 35,000 to 62,000 per year.
Additionally, 36% of fatal incidents caused by forklift trucks involve pedestrians. Runover is another common risk when operating a forklift truck. For example, when driving backward without looking, or when driving forward while carrying a load that obstructs visibility.
How to prevent accidents with forklift trucks
There are several general measures to prevent accidents when operating a forklift truck:
- Properly signalize maneuvers and the area where the forklift will be circulating.
- Never drive at a speed exceeding 10 km/h.
- Place the loads stably.
- Drive with the forks 15 centimeters above the ground, as the stability of the forklift decreases at higher heights.
- Ensure there are no pedestrians in the forklift's circulation area.
- Do not transport loads heavier than permitted and indicated.
- Check that all components of the forklift are in good condition.
- Do not drive on uneven terrain.
- If a slope cannot be avoided, drive backward when going downhill and forward when going uphill.
- Ensure that workers responsible for operating the forklift receive sufficient and appropriate training.
Training in occupational risk prevention is essential for safely operating a forklift truck. In fact, according to OSHA, between 20% and 25% of serious forklift accidents are due to inadequate worker training.
Above all, it is important to train new workers arriving at a company in handling and prevention. The Association of Mutual Accident Insurance Companies (AMAT) states that 42% of forklift accidents occur in workers with less than one year of seniority.
One of the most important aspects is raising awareness and educating employees about safety and risk. In this sense, new technologies like virtual reality are already being used to enhance training in accident prevention with forklift trucks.
Virtual reality in forklift training
Virtual reality (VR) reproduces realistic environments and situations in immersive simulations. By wearing VR goggles, the user is fully immersed in the simulation, interacting firsthand. This is already being used to provide training in risk prevention such as forklift truck operation.
In forklift training provided with VR, the worker experiences risk situations related to these machines. By interacting and making decisions, they can make mistakes and experience virtual accidents without putting themselves in real danger. This enhances their awareness of risk.
Ludus's forklift simulation includes various risk situations to provide realistic and dynamic training. Runovers with a forklift due to visibility obstruction, collapse of shelves, driver falls due to not wearing a seatbelt, entrapments, and overturns due to overweight or other reasons...
The instructor configures the situations, and the worker must identify and prevent risks, experiencing accidents and answering questions. Seeing the consequences of reckless behavior in the form of a serious accident helps prevent the same mistake in real life.
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