Forklift-Free Future

So, what’s fork-free?

Fork-free is a term used to define production operations that no longer use forklift or lift trucks in their processes.

There are many reasons manufacturers are removing forklifts from their production areas, but the main reason for most EHS Managers is simple – safety.

Forklifts are large, powerful and useful pieces of material handling equipment, designed to LIFT. They require trained, licensed operators to drive, but operating forklift trucks in busy, congested shop floors poses a big safety risk. Often visibility is difficult when moving loads. Couple this with noisy and populated work areas and even a horn or movement sensor isn’t going to remove the risk of collisions.

While forklift manufacturers undoubtedly continue to add safety systems and features to their trucks, forklifts still pose a real safety issue for many manufacturers.

The risk of forklift trucks colliding with pedestrians in busy areas is a big issue in manufacturing and one that many companies are tackling by simply removing forklifts from their shop floors or creating fork-free zones. McCue reports that 36% of forklift-related deaths are pedestrians – showing the extent of the risk that many manufacturers are tackling through fork-free zones (McCue, 2021).

The cost of forklift misuse – Towing with a forklift, a big NO!

As the name suggests, a forklift is designed to lift, not tow. However, as with many useful tools and pieces of industrial equipment – the forklift tends to be misused or have its’ abilities stretched.

“But most forklifts come with a towing point at the rear!”

This is where people get confused or, try to cut corners and costs. The towing point on a forklift ISN’T to tow a trailer, a train of carts or attempt a 36-point reversing manoeuvre of a flatbed in your warehouse.

It IS to recover the forklift truck in the event of a breakdown.

Most manufacturers and reputable forklift providers advise against using it as a towing unit because units aren’t designed to be used to tow. There are several reasons for this, but the main one is it creates a high tipping risk. This is especially true for models with rear-wheel drive, where front-wheel braking systems can make the units unstable when towing.

You’ve likely heard the horror stories of forklifts tipping – the results of which can be fatal.

There’s an array of material handling equipment on the market from electric tugs, tow tractors and ride-on-tows that are specifically designed for this application, which is another reason many manufacturers are moving to fork-free operations.

Don’t replace one risk with another…

The concept of fork-free presents an array of benefits, but it is critical that operational factors are considered before taking the leap.

For example, removing forklifts from the shop floor and introducing wheeled trolleys will provide flexibility – but then expecting staff to manually push or manoeuvre these trolleys cancels out any potential benefits of fork-free. By doing so, you have ultimately replaced one risk with another. That’s why it’s important to fully assess your processes, existing systems and highlight any potential new equipment needs.

For many manufacturers, when implementing fork-free areas, trolleys and carts are coupled with appropriate handling systems such as electric tugs or tows. This way, you benefit from the shop floor safety improvements of reduced forklift traffic, whilst also introducing an appropriate solution to mobilise your new systems safely.