Know the available range of forklift equipment to make sure you are prepared

Being efficient in your operations is about making sure that your team has what they need to perform their work safely and quickly. A forklift is a necessity in any yard or loading area, and making sure you have the right forklift equipment will save you time and trouble in the end. A base forklift cannot do it all; trying to use a base model for everything can put your safety record at risk and slow down operations. Here is an overview of the types of equipment available for your site.

Order pickers

Order pickers are a necessity, even if the height of your stock isn't exceeding average shoulder reach. These are chain driven extended fork systems that are integrated into an attached rack. It is better to use an order picker than plain forks as they are constructed to take into account the effect of weight at height, reducing safety concerns.

Lifting cages

Lifting cages are a must-have for dealing with small items. While they may come boxed and wrapped, the packaging usually falls apart. These wire style cages have a solid bottom with receiving slots for the forks so you can lift items easily. It can also be a good choice if you need to lift up working material. You can fill the cage, or just use it as a safety cage for lifting individual items. Lifting cages are not designed to be used as work platforms. Work platforms are specific to their intended use.

Work platforms

Work platforms are available for forklifts. These platforms are designed to meet current safety standards and regulations to allow workers to use the forklift as a scaffold platform. Make sure you are aware of all the additional requirements for use, such as fall equipment and training. Check with both state and local safety offices for which regulations apply to their use, and what activities are permitted from the work platform.

Roll Carriers

Roll carriers can work for anything from pipes to carpets. They allow you to safely load and transport long rolls. There are also specially designed roll carries for lifts with higher reach extensions. These can be essential to speeding up your operations. While just about every forklift operator has devised their own way of carrying rolls, the time spend jerry-rigging regular forks to carry the load safely means time lost in operations. Better to invest in the forklift equipment designed to do the job right so you don't lose time on the floor just getting things to work.

Extensions and more

Fork extensions are one of the most common types of forklift equipment to have on hand. Even if you don't think that you need them, having an extended fork pair is something you will be glad you invested in. Other common accessories that should be in your tool box include tool boxes, safety nets and cargo strapping devices. There are also some chain fall cages designed for use with forklifts that can come in handy. You should also invest in some safety posters and books to make sure your personnel stay up to date on safe operations and maintenance protocols.

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What capacity do you really need in your steel yard ramps?

The capacity of your steel yard ramps means more than just the amount of weight they can carry. Capacity also refers to the type of motion they can handle – from walking to driving to being able to use lifting machines, capacity can be very different in each instance. Capacity and load type can combine to change what you are looking for in your yard ramps a great deal. Taking the time to figure it out first can help you be prepared for anything.

Know the range of your load

The range of your load needs to go from the lightest use you expect on the ramp, to the heaviest. Don't ignore the light use – such as a single person using the ramp to walk onto a platform. That light weight use is going determine the type of tread that you need on your ramps. A sanded tread can keep workers safe on the ramp, a metal tread can be better for just tire traction. You should also consider your seasons and the elements the ramps will be exposed to when selecting their material and tread type.

What width?

Width is important. You can opt for individual track style ramps that will catch the tires of the equipment, but in most cases, yard work requires a full deck ramp. The width needs to accommodate the machine used to get on and off the platform, even if that machine is just a manual wheelbarrow. It should also be wide enough to hold the machine and allow for a worker to stand on each side of it. That is the ideal, but not always a possible reality. You do want at least 6 inches on each side of the wheel since it is rare that loads are carried off perfectly straight.

Height and reach

It goes almost without saying to make sure that the height of your steel yard ramps can meet the expected height of the truck bed or platform. You need to make sure that you take into account any differences in height that can occur from a truck bed being under load as well. The one thing that most people skip in an effort to save out of pocket expense is buying the ramp with the right reach. Reach is the length of the ramp from apex to ground. The longer the reach, the gentler the slope. This isn't just about being gentle, reach will determine what type of machine, and how much it can carry on the ramp. Make sure to have your engineers check, or use the online charts to select the right reach for your expected workload.

Portable or standing?

The last thing you need to determine about your steel yard ramps is whether or not they should be portable or standing. Portable can mean many different things. A portable ramp may be hinged so it can fold, or come apart in sections, or even have wheels on it for ease of transport. Portable doesn't always mean that it can be lifted by hand or transported in a small pickup. Standing, or fixed, ramps also come in a large variety. There are free standing ones with feet cast into the supports, and there are ones in which you have to provide a concrete footing to install too.



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