At Hyster, your safety is one of our top concerns. This is why we provide a variety of optional safety equipment which can be added to your machinery or work site. Following OSHA standards, Hyster manufactures head and work lamps as well as both visible and audible warning devices.
The only warning device needed on the forklift according to OSHA and ASME B56.1 regulations is the steering wheel horn. The horn is standard on all kinds of forklifts. Even if forklifts are not required to have audible or visible warning devices, there are several situations where optional warning devices may be suitable. These factors are unique to every work site or work place and each and every situation must be considered individually.
For audible safety devices, that are most frequently motion alarms or back-up alarms, the main point to take into account is the level of noise made by the alarm. To begin with, the audible device needs to be distinguished from other types of sounds in the work site and the sound needs to be loud enough to be heard in the work location, even when other machines could be running. The ability for employees to hear alarms and know where the noise is coming from can be compromised if employees wear hearing protection devices. If the alarms are very disruptive or offensive to employees, nearby businesses, or nearby homes, alarms may need to be disabled. If sound needs to be disabled, this should be able to happen readily. Regulations also have to be followed to make certain that noise levels do not exceed OSHA noise limits.
Visible safety devices may consist of the common strobe, rotating, or flashing lights. Factors to think about with visible safety devices comprise whether or not these devices might be more suitable than audible devices. Driver distraction, workplace lighting and presence of reflective surfaces are top priorities to consider to ensure that safety devices do not pose a danger to operators or other workers and are effective. Safety light colours must be different from other lights and background surfaces that are within the work place. Safety device positioning are really important. Lights must be able to clear any overhead obstacles. Placement of lights should not cause the lights to reflect or shine into the driver's eyes, but shielding of the lights must not excessively block the light's visibility to pedestrians.
Hyster has a variety of optional lights to suit many application needs such as halogen lights and weather-resistant LED which hold up through shock and vibration as well. When it comes to head lamps and work lamps, OSHA has set standards to make working at night or in dark work spaces a lot safer. Directional lighting is needed if the forklift lighting produces less than 2 lumens per square foot. Hyster has lots of choices which would really help increase visibility in low-light conditions.