Ask a room of forklift operators whether they always wear the seat belt and watch the eyes drop. It is uncomfortable, it slows down getting on and off, and the truck only ever goes ten miles an hour. All true. And none of it matters, because of what happens when a counterbalance truck tips over.
What happens in an overturn
A lateral tip-over takes about a second and a half from the point of no return to the overhead guard hitting the floor. Every instinct tells the operator to jump clear on the high side. The truck falls faster than a person can climb out, so the operator ends up on the floor with the edge of the overhead guard coming down on their head or chest. This is how most forklift operators die.
An operator who is belted in goes over with the truck and stays inside the space protected by the overhead guard. Bruises, a broken arm perhaps, and a story to tell. Every study of forklift overturns comes to the same conclusion: restrained operators survive, unrestrained operators very often do not.
What the law says
PUWER requires employers to ensure that restraining systems are used where there is a risk of the operator being crushed by the truck if it overturns. On a counterbalance truck with a seat belt fitted, that means the belt must be worn, and an employer who lets operators drive without it is in breach. The HSE has taken enforcement action against companies purely for seat belts not being worn.
Making it stick
- Make it a site rule with consequences, applied to everyone including managers who drive.
- Fit seat belt interlocks or warning systems where operators keep "forgetting".
- Replace stiff, dirty or damaged belts. A belt that is hard to fasten will not be fastened.
- For trucks where the operator gets on and off every few seconds, consider retractable belts or, for genuinely low-risk operations, a documented risk assessment that supports another form of restraint.
Our guide to stability and load centres explains what causes overturns in the first place.