There are 5 key steps to making sure that safety is a main concern. The first step is completing a Walk-Around Inspection to be able to assure that the model is visually safe. After that check if the work place is safe to use with a Worksite Assessment. The Function Test is the third step in order to know whether or not the unit is functioning in a safe manner. The 4th thing to take into consideration is Proper Operation, so as to know whether or not the unit is safely operating. Last of all, Proper Shutdown has to be checked in order to make sure 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 that stands on a triangular footprint and lifts heavy weights to impressive heights. The key objective is to keep the telehandler upright, but surely there are risks.
The triangular base of the telehandler consists of the rear-axle pivot point and the two front wheels. The back axles normally oscillates, thus the rear wheels are not considered part of the base. The telehandler remains upright so long as the machine's center of gravity, that is defined as the point in 3 dimensions around which the equipment's weight is balanced, stays oriented in the stability triangle.
When a load is placed on the forks while the boom is down, the center of gravity forward and down. The load if lifted would move the center of gravity to the rear upwards. At the same time, the stability triangle shrinks when this happens. Hence, the higher you raise a load, the less of a margin for error you have as the stability triangle lessens.
When the stability triangle is small, it leaves less room for the center of gravity to move right or left. It is this wandering action which could change the stability triangle and leave less room for the frame to remain balanced if it is not perfectly level. For instance, 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 the center of the ground and a point on the boom. If the frame is not level, the center of gravity would not be oriented over the equipment's centerline. The stability triangle is continuously aligned with the centerline of the telehandler.