Stop Risk Before It Starts
It’s impossible to put a price on safety at manufacturing and logistics facilities. World-class organizations know it’s directly tied to their ability to succeed.
To meet productivity metrics, workers need equipment that’s readily available and in good condition. And when that equipment is unsafe, the failure can’t be ignored. What’s more, creating a safety culture boosts morale and shows employees that you care about them.
Efforts to avoid on-the-job injuries go beyond the obvious. How do you prepare for an accident that hasn’t happened yet? Following are some tips to ensure that’s you’re not only protecting your employees from harm, but your company as well.
Prioritize daily per-shift safety checklists, and watch the utilization of your assets. Doing so provides greater assurance of associate welfare and legal protection, and enhances risk management. Make sure that you have a specific operator safety and OSHA-compliant checklist of all of the points you need to hit each quarter. This systemized approach is essential to becoming better regimented, and dedicated to compliance.
Implement preventive maintenance programs to improve the long-term health of your assets. Regular maintenance not only supports warranty claims, but ensures that you’re meeting OSHA requirements and keeping your equipment in safe and operational condition. In the event of a forklift accident, for instance, one of the first things to be examined is whether safety checklists were followed, and at what cadence. Records will also be scrutinized to make sure that the equipment has been cared for properly. Good maintenance keeps equipment in better operating condition throughout its life, while avoiding faulty parts and mitigating risk in the long term.
Incorporate a real-time feedback loop. There will come a day when you must notify managers about a noncompliant piece of equipment that shouldn’t be in use. It’s wise to create a communication system between employees who are managing the equipment and those in charge of making sure it’s at peak performance. Plan for how and to whom you’ll send this communication, to ensure that it’s done in a timely manner.
Incorporate reasonable safety telematics to reward achievements. The goal here isn’t to become the “big brother” of your facility, but instead to refocus energy on rewarding and reinforcing positive behavior. Create awards systems for operators achieving top safety metrics, possibly in the form of paid time off or gift cards celebrating their success. This approach not only recognizes the work of the operator, but creates a culture where safety is valued and rewarded.
Proper risk management involves two key elements: systemized safety programs and systematic planned maintenance. Through front-end consideration, you can instill your entire facility team with the confidence that comes from knowing that things are under control and working the way they should. And in the moments where something does go wrong, you have the tools to fix the problem before someone is injured. The more you create systemic solutions and tools for ensuring safety, the more you empower your team and set them up for success.
Planning Your Facility's Path to Zero-Emission Forklifts
As California prepares to begin implementing new zero-emission forklift regulations in January, 2026, facility managers nationwide have an opportunity to evaluate their material-handling operations. While these regulations currently apply only to California — where businesses will be unable to purchase or lease new internal combustion forklifts — they provide a timely catalyst for all facilities to assess and optimize their fleets.
The shift to zero-emission equipment presents more than just a change in power sources; it's an opportunity to examine your entire material-handling strategy. This evaluation can reveal ways to right-size your fleet, upgrade aging equipment, enhance operational efficiency, improve workplace safety, reduce long-term costs, and strengthen corporate reputation through environmental stewardship. However, success requires careful planning and a comprehensive understanding of the challenges involved. Following are the essential steps to guide your planning process.
Assess your fleet requirements. Begin by conducting a thorough inventory of your current fleet. Identify which units would need replacement under zero-emission requirements, and create a detailed timeline for changes. This assessment should go beyond simple replacement planning — it's an opportunity to optimize your fleet size and composition based on your specific operational needs. Review existing lease contracts carefully, as you may have equipment agreements that extend into future years. By evaluating these financial obligations early, or engaging fleet management experts to explore contract flexibility or cost mitigation strategies, you can help ensure that your transition plan accounts for both existing commitments and future zero-emission requirements.
Address infrastructure challenges. Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of zero-emission conversion is infrastructure readiness. Electrical infrastructure upgrades can represent up to 15% of the total project cost. Facility managers should conduct thorough electrical assessments before committing to specific equipment choices. This includes evaluating current power capacity, identifying necessary upgrades, and developing contingency plans for power outages or peak usage periods.
Select equipment and power solutions. When selecting replacement equipment, two critical factors demand attention: total cost of ownership and power infrastructure requirements. The choice between lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion technology or other power solutions must be based not only on your operational requirements and facility layout, but also on your existing electrical infrastructure capacity.
Many facilities have learned a costly lesson after receiving new lithium-powered equipment — discovering too late that their electrical infrastructure couldn't support it, bringing operations to a halt. Preventing such disruptions requires evaluating your electrical capacity and backup power needs before selecting equipment. The lowest initial cost option rarely proves most economical once infrastructure upgrades are factored in.
Create your implementation plan. Success requires more than just equipment replacement. A complete plan must include maintenance protocols for new equipment, backup power strategies, and a clear approach for retiring existing equipment. The plan should also encompass operator and maintenance staff training programs, along with effective power-management systems and charging infrastructure.
Coordinate vendor relationships. Execution of the plan involves multiple aspects and complexities, including equipment sourcing, power solutions, infrastructure upgrades, maintenance planning, financial and budget alignment, and management of multiple suppliers. While some facilities successfully manage these relationships independently, working with an independent fleet manager to help coordinate all elements and reduce project complexity can be a great asset.
While California's regulations currently affect just one state, they signal industry shifts that are likely to continue. Early preparation allows facilities to capture immediate operational benefits, while laying the groundwork for future operational flexibility.
