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Loading by sideloader - is it ok to push loads with forks?
Rank: Forum user 
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Hello, I am not a forklift driver and therfore am looking for some clarity into the safe loading of steel tube bundles onto an HGV trailer by sideloader.
We have a situation a loading point where our trailers are loaded from the side by side loader. The loads are steel tubes in bundles that weigh approx 2.5 to 3 ton per bundle. Timbers are used between bundle layers. The side loader has access to both sides of the trailer. The site "practice" is to load the HGVs from one side of the trailer only, and the sideloader operators uses the side loaders forks to push the load over tfrom one side of the trailer to the other side.
Is this a safe and accepted practice within sideloader loading? In my opinion it's bad practice and extremely unsafe - but appreciate any feedback from those who are experts or qualified in forklift operations.
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Rank: Super forum user
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I have two takes on this, as I am both a H&S practioner with sideloaders on site, and I have driven a variety of FLTs in the past. It is NOT good practise. You can damage the load, the forks and/or the trailer. If the load gets damaged it could be unstable when you lift it. Even if you only had access to one side of the trailer, the correct procedure would be to turn the trailer around rather than use the forks to push loads. At no point during any competent training program would the forklift driver be taught the safe way to push loads with forks, and would fail the test if he tried to do it. Now from the driver's point of view. It is quicker and easier to push items with forks. The training of lifting objects into place, going through the whole hand brake on etc. just to move an item a few inches is just not feasible for any work that has any sort of time pressure. Driver's will take all the short cuts they know, if they feel under pressure to get work out in time. It is a lot like bumping up onto the pavement when driving a car to get past another vehicle, or when doing a 3 point turn. It is not acceptable, but pretty much everyone has done it. Basically if you want to enforce the correct procedure you need to remove time pressure, else you will only introduce more stress into the situation.
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 3 users thanked CptBeaky for this useful post.
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Rank: Forum user
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No its not good practice to push the side of a load in this manner, even a couple of inches can still cause the load to topple, or be damaged.
They should be loading from both sides of the trailer, which should actually be quicker than placing a load then shuffling it to the other side. I cant understand why this practice would even be considered by a driver if they have acess to both sides. If its an issue with the trailer driver not wanting to pull the curtains back etc etc, that needs to be looked into.
As a side note, from my experience with Side Loaders, if you need to move the load a few inches more into the trailer, you can do this by lifting and placing back down in small increments,you dont need to push the load with the forks.
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1 user thanked liamarchie for this useful post.
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Rank: Forum user
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A good summary for you there of the challenges and reasons why the specifics of your site layout, vehicles and load characteristics need to be subject to a risk assessment. If you conclude that pushing the load is the only option of getting it to the correct part of the lorry then some thought as to how the timbers/stillage arrangements can help will be useful. Whilst I would generally touch the kerb when doing my 3 point turns at no point is a consequence of this a shed load of steel tubes. If steel tubes is what your company sells then this is likely a frequent enough task to warrant a bit of effort?
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2 users thanked Wailes900134 for this useful post.
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Rank: Forum user
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Hello all,
Thank you so much for your responses and thoughts. You have confirmed what I thought but also do understand the practicalities during loading, especially where time is a factor.
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Loading by sideloader - is it ok to push loads with forks?
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