Warehouses can be dangerous places if safety protocols are not carefully followed, particularly if you have heavy moving equipment, like forklifts, driving around.
It’s not uncommon to hear stories of near misses or even lost-time incidents where a forklift impacts a pedestrian or causes some other kind of accident in the warehouse that injures workers.
For this reason, in order to hire a forklift or operate any other type of heavy machinery legally and safely, you must accept real, regulated responsibilities. These stringent health and safety regulations are designed to protect both operators and everyone around them.
The Legal Framework
The forklift operation in South Africa is primarily regulated by the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), which is a critical piece of legislation that places a legal duty on employers to ensure a safe working environment.
A critical component of this is the Driven Machinery Regulations, which were most recently updated in 2015. According to Regulation 18, no person is allowed to operate a forklift unless they have been trained and certified by an accredited provider.
Therefore, as an employer, you need to ensure that all your forklift operators are medically fit, certified, and competent to handle this machinery, lest you face severe legal recourse.
Operator Training and Certification
Formal training for forklift drivers needs to be carried out by a SAQA-accredited training provider and should result in the issuance of a competency certificate. These certificates are valid for two years, afterupon which they need to be renewed.
As an employer, you are also required to keep all training records on hand and to ensure that refresher courses are attended before the certification lapses. Ignoring these protocols not only invites legal penalties but also significantly raises the risk of workplace accidents.
Safety Practices and Site Conditions
Legal compliance is not the only thing you need to worry about. Your business is also obligated to implement on-site safety measures. This includes maintaining clear signage, designated pedestrian zones and regular forklift inspections.
The General Safety Regulations under the OHSA also mandate that any dangerous machinery, including forklifts, must be maintained in a safe condition. Moreover, these machines can only be used for their intended purpose.
Daily pre-use checks by operators, proper loading techniques, and adequate lighting are not just best practices. They are critical requirements under South African safety law.
Don’t leave safety to chance. First Forklifts can help you ensure that your forklifts are in tip-top shape thanks to our certified maintenance and repair services. Contact us now to book your forklift hire or service.