There are 5 key steps to making sure that safety is a top priority. The first step is completing a Walk-Around Inspection in order to insure that the model is visually safe. After that check if the work location is safe to utilize with a Worksite Assessment. The Function Test is the third step in order to determine whether or not the model is functioning in a safe manner. The 4th thing to consider is Proper Operation, so as to know whether or not the model is safely working. Lastly, Proper Shutdown should be checked in order to make sure the model is capable of shutting down properly and is in a safe place.
At the center of the 5 steps and this regulation, there is a machine which lifts heavy weights to impressive heights and stands on a triangular footprint. The key goal is to be able to maintain the telehandler upright, but of course there are risks.
The rear-axle pivot point, and the two front wheels make up the telehandler's triangular base. Normally the rear axle oscillates and thus, the rear wheels are not a part of the base. The telehandler remains upright as long as the equipment's center of gravity, which is defined as the point in 3 dimensions around which the machine's weight is balanced, stays oriented inside the stability triangle.
When the boom is down, adding a load to the forks at that time moves the center of gravity forward and down. Raising the load would change the center of gravity upwards and to the rear. At the same time, when this occurs, the stability triangle shrinks. Therefore, the higher you raise a load, the less of a margin for error you have since the stability triangle lessens.
With a small but stable stability triangle, it leaves less room for the center of gravity to move left or right. This wandering action can change the stability triangle, leaving 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 will always be able to find the center of gravity somewhere 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 centerline of the equipment. The stability triangle is continuously aligned with the machine's centerline.