Ewout Brehm of the Buro voor Fysieke Arbeid gives 5 tips to keep yourself healthy while driving a forklift.
1. Adjust your seat properly
Spend 30 seconds adjusting the seat before every trip.
"First of all, you check whether your feet can comfortably reach the pedals. Then you check the suspension. If you weigh 75 kilos, you adjust it differently than your colleague who is 25 kilos heavier."
2. Think of your knees
Do not operate the pedals with the tip of your shoe. That is not wise!
"Because then you have to turn your foot a lot, and your knee turns along with it. But that knee is made to bend and stretch; that turning is precisely what puts strain on it."
3. Get out as if on a ladder
"Many people get out the way they walk down a staircase," says Brehm. "Facing forward, that is. But if you do that, you are almost forced to jump down from the last step. Bad for your knees. So it is better to act as if you are climbing down a ladder: first your back and buttocks, then the rest."
4. Ensure active relaxation
Do you spend a long time in the forklift? Then get out of sitting mode!
"The more variety, the better," says Brehm. "If you sit in a truck 7 to 8 hours a day, don't eat your sandwich on a chair during your break, but walk outside for a little stroll. And also make sure to take smaller breaks: walk around your forklift for 100 seconds every 30 minutes. Think of it as a safety inspection."
5. Watch out for your neck
As a driver, do you have to remove pallets from higher than 5 metres? Here too Brehm sees a risk.
"You then turn your neck all the way up. This is straining. And that while it is not necessary at all. Only when there is actually something on the forks do you have to follow the forks with your eyes. If you have no load, then it is not necessary. Also bear in mind that nowadays you can often fold your seats backwards. This makes following the load easier, and less straining.
30/03/2017
Source: BMWT