Safety is a primary concern for anyone who works in construction and manufacturing performing any activity that requires eye protection. The proper eye protection especially is important for those who operate forklifts and other types of mobile equipment.
Simply putting on the latest fashionable safety glasses is not enough in the case of forklift operators. Frames that impair the ability of mobile equipment operators to see people and objects with minimal head turning or moving their eyes can contribute to unsafe situations. In the case of forklift operators, peripheral vision is important.
Maintaining peripheral vision is essential to detecting motion and a key element to safety. Yet many forklift drivers wear newer fashion or wrap-style safety glasses that greatly reduce the field of vision and thereby increase the chances for a serious accident.
Forklift Safety Stats
Forklift accidents certainly are not uncommon. According to the 2014 edition of Injury Facts from the National Safety Council, 66 workers died as a result of operating or working near a forklift. A forklift was a secondary source of fatal injuries for an additional 24 workers. Those numbers are up from 2010. Estimates place the cost to U.S. employers of forklift accidents at over $135 million per year.
Many of these costs involve workers’ compensation payments, but also include hidden costs such as workers’ lost time and training costs for replacement workers. Greater costs occur from major lawsuit awards from forklift accidents. All of these costs can add up and negatively impact a corporation. These injuries often occur to workers who are walking or working near forklifts, and who are not seen by the trained forklift operator.
