How to Prevent Forklifts from Skidding on Wet Floors

When forklifts are moving in and out of a warehouse or factory, they will be bringing in all sorts of dirt, water and debris on their wheels. This can make both the wheels of the forklift, and the warehouse floor slippery. This problem is intensified on wet, rainy days, when the amount of water and dirt brought in increases.

We often think about the danger to pedestrians of walking on wet and slippery warehouse floors, but what about the forklift trucks and their drivers?

If the floor and tyres are wet, it will take the forklift truck longer to stop than when dry, just like when driving a car. Wet, contaminated floors and tyres can cause forklift trucks to skid or aquaplane which can be a great danger in busy warehouses in factories.

With forklifts moving heavy goods around factory and warehouses, the last thing you need is a skidding forklift that may cause damages to goods, fixtures, or fittings, or even a worker! Here is our guide on how to prevent forklifts from skidding:

 

Have clearly marked walkways and crossings for pedestrians

Having specific, designated areas for pedestrians to walk and move around the factory or warehouse, to ensure they are not walking in the paths of moving forklifts, can help to prevent accidents. If your warehouse is particularly prone to wet floors, you may even wish to have barriers separating the pathways for pedestrians and forklifts as an extra precaution.

 

Taking extra care on wet days

Forklift drivers should be trained to take extra precautions on particularly wet days, such as driving slower to reduce the amount of time it would take to stop if required. They should take particular care when turning around corners.

 

Drying the tyres using matting

One of the main causes of forklifts skidding, is due to wet tyres, combined with wet floors beneath causing a loss of traction. More often that not, the floor will be wet due to previous forklift journeys bringing in water on the wheels. A solution to this is Forklift Matting, that will scrape and wipe the wheels of forklifts from dirt and water, preventing this from being further tracked into the warehouse and causing a hazard.

 

Drainage at warehouse entrances

Having a good drainage system by the warehouse doors can help to drain away most of the water that may otherwise run into the warehouse on a rainy day.

 

How can Mats4U help you prevent forklifts from skidding?

Waterhog Forklift Mats are an innovative solution to use at forklift entrances in warehouses and factories, to prevent forklifts from skidding by scraping and wiping the tyres. For more information on how they work, visit our Forklift Mats page on our website.

If you have any further questions about forklifts bringing dirt and water into your warehouse, creating both slip and skid hazards, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0121 313 6748 or [email protected]. We have helped many customers with the issue and will be more than happy to help you too!