Pallet Trolleys | Advantages and Safety of using Pallet Trolleys

Health and SafetyLifestyleWork Life

Written by:

There are many safety practices that are essential when operating pallet trolleys and many advantages when they are used correctly. This article will inform you of safety techniques and advantages of using a pallet trolley.

How to Use a Pallet Truck Safely

Safety should be of the utmost importance when it comes to operating a pallet trolley in a working environment such as a warehouse or factory. Anyone can use a pallet trolley if they are trained how to do it, but they can be extremely dangerous when operated incorrectly.

Well-Trained Operators

Using pallet trolleys correctly is the best way to help ensure that your employees don’t get injured. It is important that a trained and experienced operator trains a beginner.

Beginners should be shown all uses and functionality of the pallet truck before being allowed to use it independently. It’s also important that anyone using it adheres to the weight limit/capacity.

Load Limits

Most manufacturers will provide information about how much weight the pallet jack can hold, as well as other safety standards relating to the operation of the equipment.

You should never put more weight on a pallet trolley than is specified.

Never Ride On the Pallet Trolley

Some people think that this is a fun idea, but it’s actually really dangerous. It is much easier to lose control of a pallet jack whilst riding it. This could result in a number of horrific injuries including your feet getting caught in the blades.

To ensure that safety is properly adhered to, someone should act as a spotter for the person using the pallet trolley. The spotter should be there as a guide when the operator’s view is obstructed and quickly alert the operator to stop for people passing by.

Beware, with heavier loads the operator will need more time to stop than with lighter loads.

Manual vs. Electric

The probability of injury whilst operating a manual pallet trolley is far higher than that of an electric one. This is due to the electric ones having more automatic safety features. If using a manual pallet jack, specifications should be strictly followed at all times.

Don’t Overdo the Load Size

The size of the goods that you are trying to transport should not be heavier or wider than the blades can handle. If you overdo it the following can happen;

  • Stability of pallet truck lost during transport
  • Pallet spillage
  • Operator can lose control more easily

This has the potential to turn into an extremely dangerous situation, but can and should be avoided at all costs.

Maintain a Steady Speed

It is recommended that an experienced person operates the pallet trolley if it is a beginner they should be sufficiently supervised until they reach a point that they can safely and confidently do it on their own.

Slowly pushing the pallet jack is safer when going around corners and in tight spaces.

pallet trolleys

Benefits of Pallet Trolleys

Some of the many benefits of responsibly working with a pallet trolley include;

  • More Efficient
  • Some Come with Accessories
  • Hard to Reach Places
  • Smaller Than a Standard Fork Lift
  • Safer

Comments are closed.