Our Tips for Operating Telehandlers Safely
Being one of the most versatile pieces of machinery on a job site, a Telehandler is a staple on most construction sites. With multi-purpose capabilities, this machinery can lift, move and or place materials, an ideal choice to complete many different jobs on the construction site.
Even though the Telehandler is a wonderful piece of machinery, it’s important to follow the operating instructions to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries.
1. Don’t skip the training
We’ve all been there; you’ve opened up a box and thrown away the instructions straight away or ignored the safety advice which is fine when we’re dealing with flat pack furniture, but when it comes to machinery it is crucial to be properly trained before operating. We recommend having general training as well as practical training on the Telehandler that you will be using. Make sure that you read any safety signs, warnings and the operator’s manual in full as well as ensuring you fully understand the functions and the location of all the safety controls before operating the Telehandler. It’s better to be overprepared than underprepared.
Read our guide on how to operate a telehandler.
2. Inspect your equipment before every use
Before every use, it is important to do a pre-inspection and make sure that everything is working as it should be. If there are any warning lights on or anything looks wrong, then it should be flagged and removed from being used until it has been checked and fixed.
3. Follow all rules and regulations
It can be tempting to flaunt the rules from time to time, whether it’s to save time or maybe to cut costs. Cutting corners can cause serious accidents, even fatal ones. Making sure to follow all rules and regulations is crucial. Read all the safety rules imposed by your employer as well as any local or government rules and regulations.
4. Know your load
Every Telehandler should have a load capacity chart and you should not operate one if it doesn’t. The load chart should match the machine and attachment you’re using before lifting the load. Making sure the weight and the centre of gravity of the load doesn’t exceed the capacity listed on the load chart will reduce the risk of any accidents.
It is also important to ensure that the centre of gravity and the load remain within the stability triangle. As well as making sure you keep the boom as low as possible during movement and that you operate the machine at a speed that will keep the machine and load under control at all times and make sure to never use the sway feature with an elevated load.
5. In the cab
When you’re in the cab, always wear your seatbelt while operating the Telehandler. You can adjust the seat and steering wheel to ensure that you can easily reach all of the machine operating and safety controls. Before operating the Telehandler, you should adjust the side and cab mirrors to maximise visibility and ensure you can see around the cab.
6. Tipping safety
Sometimes accidents happen, whether that’s a misjudgement or it might be out of your control. If the machine starts tipping don’t jump from the telehandler. Stay in the cab, in your seat with your seatbelt on and brace for impact by holding the steering wheel and leaning away from the point of impact.
What we do at Interpart!
At Interpart, we are proud to be the only genuine alternative JCB spare parts supplier. We supply over 7000 different alternative JCB parts, so whatever part you’re looking for we are confident we supply it.
Using country-specific distributors, we are able to sell our non-JCB spare parts to customers all over the world. We handpick our distributors and are proud to be partners with every single one.
We want to make finding the right aftermarket JCB part for your telehandler as easy as it can, which is why we have created our handy parts finder. If you know the part number, click here for a quick quote or search below to add products to your quote list. If you don't know your part number, click here to find your machine serial PIN number then call our JCB spare parts gurus on 0161 998 9911 and they'll guide you through identification and pricing.
