There are 5 important steps to ensuring safety is a main concern. The initial step is completing a Walk-Around Inspection to be able to assure that the unit is visually safe. Then assess if the worksite is safe to operate in with a Worksite Assessment. The Function Test is the third step in order to know whether or not the unit is working safely. The 4th thing to consider is Proper Operation, so as to know whether or not the model is operating safely. Lastly, Proper Shutdown must be checked in order to make certain the model is capable of shutting down correctly and is in a safe place.
At the center of the 5 steps and this regulation, there is a machinery which stands on a triangular footprint and lifts heavy weights to impressive heights. The key objective is to be able to keep the telehandler upright, but for sure there are dangers.
The two front wheels, and the rear-axle pivot point make up the triangular base of the telehandler. Normally the back axle oscillates and therefore, the back wheels are not a part of the base. The telehandler remains upright so long as the center of gravity of the equipment, which is defined as the point in 3 dimensions around which the equipment's weight is balanced, stays oriented in the stability triangle.
When the boom is down, adding a load to the forks at that same time moves the center of gravity forward and down. Raising the load will move the center of gravity to the rear and upwards. At the same time, the stability triangle shrinks when this occurs. Therefore, the higher you lift a load, the less of a margin for error you have as the stability triangle lessens.
With a stable but small stability triangle, it leaves less room for the center of gravity to move left or right. This wandering action could change the stability triangle, leaving less room for the frame to remain balanced if it is not perfectly level. For example, imagine the center of gravity resembling a plumb bob hanging from the boom. You can always find the center of gravity someplace on a totally vertical line between a point on the boom and the center of the ground. If the frame is not level, the center of gravity would not be oriented over the machine's centerline. The stability triangle is continuously aligned with the centerline of the equipment.