Safety in motion with Movement and Distribution Division

By Ms. Lori K Mcdonald (AMC)June 3, 2009

Forklift Safety
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Movement equipment with forklifts
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Safety is the most important topic that is communicated daily to every employee of Sierra Army Depot. In addition, the Depot conducts an annual Safety Stand-down Day to encourage and promote safety.

One supervisor, Cemira Shaw, Asset Management Directorate, Movement and Distribution Division, seized the opportunity to focus employees on forklift safety. With information garnered from the internet, a basic forklift course was set up. Shaw commented, "Basically we use six different courses so something new is learned every quarter."

Every quarter, a new course is set up based on current and upcoming missions, to keep operators' current on their skills. Regardless of which course is run, all operators are required not only to pick up a load, but they are also required to take this load through the obstacle course and return the load back to its original location. Sometimes operators have to drive backwards, change directions in the middle of the course, and drive around obstacles in a circle.

This course builds skills by teaching operators how to load, unload, and move in tight quarters. Employees participate every quarter to engineer the risk out of day-to-day operations.

This quarter something new was being added. Shaw stated, "We will also be hooking and unhooking trailers from yard dogs. A portable ramp will be set up to a container where the operator will be required to go up the ramp and into the container to either pick up a load or bring a load back out."

But it isn't always about focusing on the safety of operating a forklift. Shaw and her team have included how to properly conduct pre-trip inspections. This entails how to identify and locate load test dates as well as when last load test were conducted.

The group also learns about weight lift capabilities and capacities on the various types of forklifts/equipment. Before any of this training can take place, Shaw assures employees have ALL their proper personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to operate equipment.

Since initiating this course, it has cut down forklift accidents in the field. Personnel in Movement and Distribution Division are more aware of what they are doing and more focused because of this extra training.