Top Four Causes of Forklift Accidents and How to Prevent Them
Written by Michael Purser | Edited by Nate Bortz
Forklifts are crucial tools used to lift, move, load and unload heavy materials. While common, they are still large, dangerous industrial vehicles. An inattentive driver, a slippery floor or a poorly balanced load can result in a major accident. Thousands of U.S. workers are injured by forklifts every year.
This article examines the major factors contributing to forklift-related accidents and annual injury statistics before offering suggestions for reducing those hazards.
Definitions and Sources
Forklifts are part of a larger class of industrial lifting equipment — powered industrial trucks (PITs). The exact number of lift trucks in operation is hard to pinpoint, but an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) report from 2018 estimated that there are approximately 855,000 vehicles operating in the United States.
All forklift-related injury and accident information below comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Numbers for this article are drawn from the Biennial Case and Demographic Characteristics for Work-related Injuries and Illnesses Involving Days Away from Work, Restricted Activity or Job Transfer (DART) report for 2021-2022 or the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) tables for those same years.
Detailed statistics for previous years can be found on the BLS website, though they are not used here.
Understanding Forklift Operations
Types of Forklifts
OSHA recognizes seven distinct classes of forklifts. Other powered industrial trucks are governed by different standards, but they all fall under the blanket rules in 29 CFR 1910.178. Classes are defined by characteristics like power source (which might be compressed natural gas, electricity or diesel fuel), tire composition (solid or pneumatic) or function (whether an operator sits, stands or walks alongside the truck).
Components and Functions
Regardless of class, all types of trucks have a few key parts in common, starting with the forks that give them their names. The tines or blades are merely the surface on which the load rests. All the work happens behind the forks.
Forks attach to the carriage, driving the cargo's vertical movement. A hydraulic cylinder provides the lift's power. When pressure is added to the hydraulic system, the forks move up. When the pressure decreases, the forks descend. The carriage (and tines) can often move a short lateral distance, as well.
Other than the forks themselves, the mast is the most recognizable part of any lift truck. The mast is the tall steel frame in front. Mast height dictates how far a forklift can lift a load. If a vertical height of more than a few feet is required, the mast can extend.
The average truck has a simplex mast, which means it has a single extendable segment that can usually reach about 10 feet above the ground. Duplex, triplex and even quad masts are available, which can allow forks to extend as far as 40 feet or more.
Because of physics, the further the mast is raised, the less the truck can safely lift and the more unstable the vehicle becomes while moving. In most circumstances, cargo should stay as close to the ground as possible during transit to prevent accidents. A good guide to consult for this is the equipment’s free fork height (FFH), which is the maximum lift possible without changing the mast height.
Those are the main lifting components. Almost everything else on a lift truck is more about the “truck” than the “lift.” Those features include the seat design, engine specifications, the size and design of the tires and other vehicular concerns. The last couple of features worth discussing are the overhead guard and the counterweight.
Since these devices are designed to lift heavy loads above the driver’s head, a sturdy guard is essential for most designs. Guards are usually integrated steel grates or similar metal roofs designed to absorb or deflect small or moderate objects that may fall on the operator.
Overhead guards are no substitute for proper hard hats or other personal protective equipment (PPE). Guards are also not designed to withstand the impact of a full-capacity cargo or other heavy load.
A heavy internal counterweight helps balance the truck’s lifting capacity. Since the forks sit in front of the vehicle’s wheels, the equipment risks toppling over when loaded (more on this below). To offset the cargo, most trucks have dense metal weights as far back as possible inside the device’s frame. The bigger the weight and the further behind the forks possible, the better.
Required Operator Training and Certification
To prevent accidents, OSHA requires all forklift operators to be properly trained and certified before climbing behind the wheel. Federal requirements for forklift certification are found in 29 CFR 1910.178(l). OSHA regulations dictate the type of training required, who is responsible for teaching and evaluating operators, the topics covered during instruction and how often retraining is required.
Instruction is the first step. Every employee must complete lessons on all mandatory topics. Lessons are broken into truck-related topics and workplace-related topics. Students learn everything from steering and stacking to pedestrian traffic and inspection protocols. This portion of the certification process may be completed in person or online.
Following the classroom portion, students must complete employer-guided, hands-on training to master the unique job tasks and workplace hazards found on the jobsite. Finally, students must demonstrate basic maneuvering skills and complete other exercises to the satisfaction of an experienced instructor during a final evaluation.
Candidates who successfully complete all three parts of the process become officially certified. Certified forklift operators can then drive any of the seven classes of PIT mentioned above. A forklift license is valid for three years from the issue date.
Several situations may require certified operators to repeat training before their certificates expire. Those conditions are listed in 1910.178(l)(4), including:
Operating a truck in an unsafe manner (because of an on-the-job report or an evaluation)
An accident or near-miss event
Changing forklift types or job functions
A change in workplace conditions that affects routine operation
Retraining must be accompanied by a new evaluation. Operators must also be evaluated at least once every three years to renew forklift certification.
Common Types of Accidents
But why is all that training necessary? Because forklift drivers operate heavy industrial vehicles capable of lifting huge loads 10 feet or more into the air. That kind of machinery is capable of lethal damage in the wrong hands.
Between 2021 and 2022, BLS reported 25,330 nonfatal incidents and 143 fatal accidents involving forklifts. Many of the recorded cases caused significant time away from work or job restrictions. Of the 25,330 total accidents, 11,330 led to 31 days or more of work disruption. The median number of days away from work was 22 per incident, almost double the national average across all industries!
Some tasks are more dangerous than others. The BLS statistics are grouped into general categories, but don’t go into details. The leading sources of injuries include:
Transportation Incidents — 13,240: This category includes accidents like tipping over the vehicle, spinning out or otherwise improper behavior of a lift truck.
Contact with Object or Equipment — 8,110: Drivers can cause damage by smashing into buildings, contacting power lines or getting entangled in machines or shelves around the worksite.
Struck by Object — 3,380: Operators might lose control of a load, dropping heavy cargo on themselves or others in the process. They may also collide with other workers or pedestrians.
Falls, Slips and Trips — 2,900: This broad grouping includes everything from stumbling over forks to using the truck like an improper elevator. A subset of this group, falls to a lower level, includes 1,770 cases of driving the vehicle off a platform, sliding down a hill or other unexpected changes of elevation.
Struck Against Object — 2,210: This unusually named category primarily refers to workers being pinned or crushed between a PIT and a stationary object like a wall or machine.
Caught in Object, Equipment or Material — 2,220: Closely related to the last item, these accidents usually involve injuring a body part in the forklift’s moving parts while operating or maintaining the device.
Those terms are very broad. To help make sense of the numbers, we’ve compiled the four most common causes of the forklift accidents listed above. We also provide some helpful tips to protect yourself from each one.
Tip-Overs
Overloaded lifts might pitch over forward at rest or when stopping too quickly. Trucks that turn too fast or lift unbalanced loads might topple sideways.
Dangers: A tipping accident might cause thousands of pounds of machinery and cargo to fall onto operators, coworkers or pedestrians. By far the most common type of accident, tipping is the leading cause of fatalities related to PITs. An operator who follows the instinct to jump out during an accident is at an increased risk of being crushed to death.
Causes: By nature, forklifts are squat, heavy vehicles with a low center of gravity. Unloaded, they are difficult to knock over. The vehicle is carefully designed to maintain a sturdy Stability Triangle.
As weight is added to the tines and the load or truck begins to move, the center of gravity changes. The more the center of gravity changes, the more likely it is for the whole machine to lose balance and tip over.
In that way, heavy industrial equipment isn’t much different than the human body. It is easy to hold a loaded box close to your body, somewhere between your waist and your chest. If you hold out your arms while carrying the box, lift it far over your head, or try to keep a grip on a large, unbalanced object, you might hurt yourself or fall over.
Safety Tips:
Calculate your load carefully to avoid exceeding safe lifting limits.
Keep the forks as close to the ground as possible and tip the mast backward while in motion.
Brake slowly to prevent dangerous changes in momentum.
Use your seatbelt and keep your hands on the controls at all times during operation.
In case of a tip-over, do not attempt to leave the vehicle. Keep all limbs inside the cabin until the vehicle comes to rest.
Struck-by Accidents
Forklifts are vehicles, and vehicles can crash into stationary obstacles or other objects for a variety of reasons. Similarly, unsecured cargo can fall from elevated forks, causing serious injuries.
Dangers: Unlike cars, these tools frequently weigh more than four tons. Top speeds may not reach much higher than 15 miles per hour. But that’s more than enough force to cause serious damage.
Workers or others on the worksite may be struck when objects on or above a forklift fall during operation, either due to operator error or a lack of situational awareness.
Causes: Due to a forklift's design and function, it may be difficult for operators to clearly see the path ahead while carrying a load. Poor visibility might obscure objects in the path of travel, causing a collision.
A careless coworker or a split-second miscalculation might cause overhanging cargo to catch on or strike something during a turn. Poor operating conditions or inclement weather on the jobsite can also cause drivers to lose control.
Some or all of a poorly rigged or unbalanced load might come loose during movement, causing falling objects to strike the operator or others on the worksite. Catching tines on a warehouse shelf or construction scaffolding might have disastrous consequences beyond the initial impact.
Safety Tips:
Be mindful when loading cargo to ensure clear visibility during operation.
Drive carefully when moving up or down an incline to maintain control of momentum.
Turn slowly, especially when moving a load.
Avoid hazards such as ice, mud or overhangs that might cause a collision or loss of control.
Stay at least three feet away from an operating PIT at all times.
Falls from Heights
Lift trucks would be easier to drive if every worksite was a flat plane. But many facilities include ramps, docks or other changes in elevation. Employees may also try to use the increased reach as a short-term elevator — despite the obvious dangers.
Dangers: Forklifts operating near a change in elevation run the risk of falling over the edge. Even a change of a few inches can cause catastrophic damage to the vehicle, its cargo or humans in the vicinity.
Even when a fall isn’t enough to cause a major injury, it might leave a four-ton piece of industrial machinery stuck in an awkward position. Rescuing a fallen, high-centered or teetering forklift creates additional risks beyond the initial hazard.
This category also involves individuals who fall from the vehicle itself. Workers using elevated pickers or who unwisely try to balance on extended forks to reach increased heights might slip and fall to the ground.
Causes: An unguarded edge is a significant danger for this type of heavy machine. An operator might misjudge the distance to a curb, fail to line up with a waiting truck or fail to notice a sudden drop.
Forklifts aren’t especially nimble machines, and it can be difficult to reverse an imminent fall, even if the driver immediately attempts to correct a mistake. A loaded truck, especially, may not be able to produce enough corrective force to overcome a fall in progress.
Unsecured individuals may be ejected from a lift, fall from forks or even topple from a work surface due to the operation of a nearby forklift.
Safety Tips:
Mark and guard all edges where lift trucks may operate.
Use a buddy or spotter to direct traffic around potential hazards.
Always maintain good visibility and clear sight lines when maneuvering — especially when carrying a load.
Carefully balance loads and keep the forks close to the ground while in motion for additional stability.
Strap in, especially when using classes of truck that may elevate the driver during operation.
Never use a forklift as an impromptu elevator or work platform!
Park PITs in designated areas when not in use and properly store equipment to keep work floors clear of hazards.
Pedestrian Accidents
Dangers: These are large machines with powerful moving parts. It is all too easy for a forklift to crush a pedestrian’s foot, for moving forks to bash a distracted coworker in the head or for an operator to crash into an unseen passerby.
Injuries range from broken legs and crushed toes to amputations, shattered spines and serious lacerations.
Causes: Pedestrians may work in very close proximity to forklifts on many jobsites. That is especially true in environments like warehouses, where order-picking stand-up trucks whiz up and down narrow aisles packed with other employees and products.
Where workers on foot and on wheels coexist, the potential for accidents is high. Failure to observe right-of-way, inattentive pedestrians, obstructed views and more increase the potential for frequent accidents.
Safety Tips:
Use clearly marked travel paths and use the forklift’s horn when approaching doors, intersections or other areas with poor visibility.
Pay attention to mirrors, signs or other signals in areas where forklifts might come into close proximity to pedestrians.
Close or block off areas where lift trucks are currently operating to prevent crossing paths with passersby.
Accelerate, turn and brake in a smooth, controlled manner. Sudden, unexpected changes in operation are much more dangerous than predictable maneuvers.
Do not walk in the path of a moving forklift or attempt to manipulate cargo while the mast or forks are in motion.
Where high-visibility attire when walking or working in areas where forklifts may operate.
Consequences
Any large vehicle can inflict bodily harm or property damage, and forklifts are no exception. While lift truck accidents cause thousands of serious injuries every year, those aren’t the only consequences of these workplace mishaps.
Injuries
Harm to workers and bystanders is still a major threat. BLS tracks the type(s) and location(s) of all significant forklift-related injuries. The most common wounds include:
Bruises and Contusions — 5,670
Soreness, Pain — 4,900
Sprains, Strains and Tears — 4,710
Fractures — 4,230
Cuts, Lacerations and Punctures — 1,710
Those aren’t the only possible outcomes, though. In 2021 and 2022, BLS recorded 2,860 injuries that didn’t fit neatly into one category. Also, while less common, workers also suffered injuries ranging from thermal burns to amputations while working with or on these moving machines.
Workers are more likely to sustain leg injuries than any other part of the body. In fact, there are almost twice as many foot injuries from forklift incidents than the next most-injured body part — the hands. The full breakdown of the official 2021 to 2022 list of affected body parts is:
Head — 1,910
Neck — 410
Trunk — 3,930
Spine or Back — 2,770
Upper Extremities — 5,520
Shoulders — 890
Arms — 910
Wrists — 580
Hands — 2,770
Lower Extremities — 11,410
Knees — 1,220
Ankles — 2,080
Feet — 5,420
Multiple —1,960
Other — 180
The large number of injuries below the waist makes sense when you remember that the long, protruding forks at the front of the vehicle spend most of the time at about shin level and that it’s all too easy to accidentally drive over a coworker’s foot while trying to maneuver in close quarters.
Property Damage
The most frequent forklift accidents don’t just hurt humans. Punching a fork through siding, bending a warehouse shelf out of alignment or running into a parked car can also ruin someone’s day.
And that’s before thinking about the damage the lift truck itself might incur as part of any tip-over, collision or fall. Forklifts are tough, but not invincible. They are also expensive. The average electric, Class I truck might cost between $20,000 and $50,000. More specialized vehicles could cost much more.
Finally, there is also the loss of productivity and medical expenses that each accident might incur. The median 22 days of lost/restricted job days add up quickly. And workers’ compensation costs can add up even faster.
Legal Implications
In addition to the costs and consequences above, employers could find themselves liable in civil court for damages related to lift truck accidents. Affected parties may be able to sue for additional compensation in some cases.
If an incident was caused by a failure to follow OSHA standards, especially in the case of willful negligence, the administration may levy significant fines or penalties. Some penalties grow in monetary value every day until hazards are resolved.
Individuals involved in serious forklift accidents must repeat their forklift certification training before being allowed to operate another lift truck. More broadly, frequent or serious incidents may cause individuals or whole companies to lose jobs, clients, contracts or licenses based on the severity of damages.
Workplace Safety Culture
It’s much less expensive to invest in proper forklift safety training and worker protection ahead of time than it is to fix damage to people or property after each accident.
The best way to avoid injuries, fatalities, damages, expenses, fines and other losses caused by forklift-related accidents is to foster a culture of safety in the workplace.
Management Responsibility
While safety is everyone’s responsibility, creating a safety-oriented culture starts at the top. Managers are responsible for providing a safe workplace for their employees. Leaders provide the facilities, equipment, training, protocols and expectations that set the tone for each worksite.
While individual employees may wreck forklifts or drop expensive pallets, supervisors are the ones in charge of identifying and rectifying forklift hazards at an organizational level. Workers can only be as safe as the environment in which they train and work.
Employee Training and Awareness
As previously mentioned, employers must ensure that forklift operators are properly trained and certified according to the standards found in 29 CFR 1910.178(l). Supervisors are responsible for providing the hands-on practice and evaluation portions of the certification process.
Appropriate training is specific to the needs of each job and each type of equipment. Retraining is necessary if a worker switches to a different kind of machine or a new job function.
However, forklift certification isn’t the only safety training that benefits a lift truck operator. Every workplace is filled with unique opportunities and hazards. A broad safety training course like an OSHA Outreach Training program or an awareness-level online course for a specific hazard could prevent major accidents.
Educated employees are safer employees. Workers who better understand the job’s tools, procedures and risks will be more productive and less prone to injuring themselves or others.
Reporting and Addressing Safety Concerns
It is important for workers to feel able to talk openly about safety concerns. Open communication with supportive management makes it easier to notice, track and fix emerging safety issues before they become threats.
If workers believe that speaking up will result in improved conditions, they are more likely to come forward with the hazards they’ve observed on the job. If employees fear retribution, they are more likely to stay silent.
Even worse, anxious employees may actively conceal dangerous conditions or try to cover up accidents if they believe they may be punished for telling the truth. Even assurances of federal whistleblower protections may not be enough to move key employees to speak up about impending dangers.
Where staff see that complaints are heard and addressed, safety thrives. A listening ear can lead to a major reduction in costly accidents and serious injuries.
Conclusion
Forklifts are safe, dependable tools used all over the world. Of the 4,110,630 injuries resulting in days away from work, job transfer or restriction reported to BLS in 2021 and 2022, only 25,330 involved a forklift. That only accounts for about 0.62% of all major U.S. workplace accidents.
But each PIT should be treated as a powerful, potentially lethal piece of heavy industrial machinery. Because that’s exactly what a forklift is. Tip-overs, struck-by accidents, falls from heights and pedestrian accidents all claim thousands of days of productive labor and dozens of lives from American workers each year.
Proper training, careful operation, good situational awareness, daily inspection, regular maintenance and a strong safety culture can bring the number of forklift-related accidents as close to zero as possible.