Accident caused by forklift forks left up - GIF

[mlochala]

Primarily, IF HE HAS BEEN TRAINED PROPERLY, the forklift operator is at fault. However, not every company or country has the same standards for equipment training. Where I work, the standard is that forks are never off the ground more than 4" unless absolutely necessary. It makes me cringe to see someone driving through a facility and around corners with their forks at knee level or higher. It is also careless to leave a forklift parked without the forks all the way on the ground.

Beyond, that, the unfortunate girl on the bicycle is as much responsible for the accident as the forklift operator. To begin with, she never should have been riding that close to a manned piece of equipment and she should have been fully aware of where she was going.

The only argument I could make on her case is that often forklift forks are dull and discolored from heavy use and they do often tend to blend in with the background when in a raised position. This girl is not the first person I have seen bump into or trip over forks that were not in the correct position.