Many different industries and job roles have clothing requirements for various reasons and working with forklift trucks is no exception.

When it comes to operating forklift trucks, it is essential to have the right equipment, tools and clothing. These can keep you safe whilst working and operating the vehicles and prevent injuries.

Clothing examples

Depending on your specific working conditions, the clothing you need to wear may differ but this is a general list of the type of clothing you may need to wear when operating a forklift truck:

• Hard hat
• Safety goggles
• Gloves
• High visibility jackets
• Long sleeve shirts and long pants
• Covered shoes or boots/protective footwear

Why is clothing important?

Forklift trucks are used in a variety of different warehouse environments. Tight spaces, narrow aisles, high-stacked shelves and pedestrian workers are all common scenes in warehouses where forklift trucks are in use. The right protective clothing such as hard hats and gloves can protect you from an array of hazards. A hard hat for example can protect you from objects that may fall from high shelves or in the extreme event that your forklift truck tips over. It may not be a common occurrence but with tight corners and narrow aisles to skirt around it can be easy to bump or knock into shelving units. Gloves can protect hands in these instances too as well as when working in cold environments such as temperature controlled areas or even outside.

Visibility is key when working with forklift trucks which is why safety goggles can be extremely useful. They can help keep your sight clear both indoors and outdoors. It can also stop anything getting into your eyes and damaging them which could be a possibility when working in dusty environments. Reflective clothing can also make you easily visible to other works around you – being able to clearly see you means there’s less likelihood of a collision or accident occurring between you and another worker.

Working regulations

It is an employer’s responsibility to provide workers with a safe working environment but employees must also adhere to the regulations in place. As every working environment is different every workplace will have slightly different rules. The clothing may differ from warehouse to warehouse so it’s important to check to remain safe when operating forklift trucks.