If you are researching a fork lift truck in and around Northamptonshire you may wish to know that a business was fined over £50,000 when an employee was crushed to death. A forklift driver had performed an emergency stop while going round a corner in order to avoid hitting another member of staff. However the sudden braking caused the goods being carried to fall off and pin the man to the ground. The court found that no risk assessments had been carried out and that there was no system to safely separate pedestrians from vehicles on the site.

While you are looking at a fork lift truck in and around Northamptonshire you should note that there may be tax advantages to be gained from leasing or hiring your forklift instead of buying it outright. Make sure you consult with your accountant before making a purchase.

While investigating a fork lift truck in and around Northamptonshire you might wish to be aware that a forklift driver also has a legal duty to ensure the safety of others. In one case a forklift driver working at a sawmill was fined £1,750 plus costs after an incident in which he hit a fellow employee causing a fractured pelvis, cuts and bruises. The driver''s vision was impaired by the load he was carrying. In this case the employer had employed an in-house forklift truck trainer and the driver had received regular refresher training and re-testing and as a result it was the employee not the employer that was fined for this incident.

Whilst looking for a fork lift truck in and around Northamptonshire remember that a 600mm (2ft) load centre means the maximum length of the load should not be more than 1200mm (4ft). It is also worth remembering that the lift capacity decreases as the load length increases.

Whilst searching for a fork lift truck in and around Northamptonshire bear in mind that safety can be improved if your new forklift has a maximum drive speed setting to help ensure operators stick to workplace speed limits.