Forklift machines and equipment can be helpful for moving things around in a warehouse facility. However, when winter arrives, operating conditions become a little dangerous and more precautions should be taken to avoid accidents and mishaps. If you heavily rely on loading dock equipment as part of your business operations, it’s important you provide sufficient forklift weather protection and training for your workers. 

At BCCM, we provide forklift sales and top-of-the-line equipment for businesses to use in large, warehouse settings. You’ll be investing in lower operating costs when you purchase our machinery, ensuring your workers have easier operations within your facilities during the winter. Additionally, we also have an extended maintenance program so that you’ll receive helpful support should there be any issue with your forklift. 

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When you rent a forklift with us at BCCM we will include maintenance help as well as same or next-day delivery services. We have fair, flexible and competitive monthly rates, special rates apply to longer terms and we do offer rental purchase programs as well! Give us a call at 604 321 2331 and speak to Jamie or Bill Simpson for a customized quotation that suits your specific forklift rental needs and your budget.

To better understand how you can winter-proof your forklift and offer effective weather protection, we’ll go over some useful safety tips. We’ll expand on rules you should set for workers operating forklifts in freezing conditions and how they can maximize the equipment’s battery life. We’ll also explain why you should rely on BCCM’s products if you ever need high-performing forklifts for your facility. 

What Are Some Safety Forklift Rules Workers Must Follow During Freezing Conditions?

To ensure the safety of your forklift workers in a facility, it’s important to conduct extensive winter safety training so that they know what rules to follow. Adequate training protocols can help you avoid winter-related workplace accidents, giving operators sufficient knowledge of how to deal with different situations, illnesses, injuries, and treatments. As such, your workers will be more prepared to work in low-temperature conditions. 

Among the rules, you should train your forklift operators on including safety awareness for winter forklift operation, proper physical conditioning, and knowledge of environmental hazards in the workspace. You should also strongly emphasize your specific company winter safety protocol for their reference, providing any resources if necessary. 

You should also provide your forklift operators with the appropriate winter gear and clothing. Items such as gloves, coats, socks, boots, and earmuffs are things you can consider providing. To improve visibility in your facility, you can provide bright safety vests to make sure each worker sees each other properly. 

In your training, emphasize worker safety above everything else, including work efficiency. Focus on the most critical elements because icy conditions can cause forklifts to skid, slide, or tip over in the worst situation. Make sure to point out hazard spots at transition areas and get them to understand the importance of safe driving and lifting techniques in your facility. In addition, provide and enforce breaks whenever possible. This will help increase productivity and safety for your workers down the line.

One aspect of the forklift that really gets abused during the winter is its battery. Let’s break down how you can maximize your forklift’s battery power while working in a cold environment. 

How Can I Maximize My Forklift’s Battery Life During The Winter Months?

Cold temperatures can seriously drain your forklift’s battery life, making them discharge faster than usual. This is especially prevalent if your operators are constantly operating in cold facility conditions. To ensure it performs as regularly as possible, test the battery with a load tester as often as you can to make sure it’s close to maximum strength. Afterwards, charge it’s absolutely necessary. 

Part of the process of proper battery care and maintenance is maintaining the electric forklift’s water levels and limiting exposure to cold weather. Cold weather can greatly reduce and affect battery life and battery run time. You should prepare for how this can affect your productivity and schedule. Plan your battery charging options beforehand and have a number of backup batteries on-hand to limit potential downtime.

To further help maximize your forklift’s battery life, have an engineer provide maintenance first before using it and try to keep it from falling below 20 percent. Also, avoid opportunity charging if possible because the more frequently you charge them the less effective the batteries will be. 

Next, let’s explain why you should buy effective forklift machines and equipment from BCCM. 

Why Should I Rely On BCCM For High-Performance Forklifts?

At BCCM, we provide efficient, high-performing forklifts for a variety of clients in British Columbia. If you ever need maintenance or repairs, our team of technicians is posted all across the province to provide the best support possible. Our extended maintenance program ensures that your company has the right support for your forklift machinery and equipment. 

Contact the BCCM team today to get a quote about our exceptional forklift rentals and services.