When a forklift encounters a situation where the center of gravity of the goods is biased to one side and cannot be adjusted to the middle of the two forks during lifting, it must strictly follow the principle of "preventing rollover and falling" and adopt the following handling methods to ensure operational safety:
I. Prioritize assessing whether it meets operational conditions
Check load and center of gravity limits
Even if the total weight of the goods does not exceed the rated load of the forklift, if the center of gravity is severely offset (for example, the load on one side exceeds the load-bearing limit of the fork arm on that side), lifting must be stopped. The nameplate of some forklifts will mark "the maximum allowable load when the center of gravity is offset" (for example, when the center of gravity of the goods deviates 100mm from the center of the fork arm, the maximum load must be reduced by 20%). It is necessary to check according to this standard and avoid taking chances.
Judge the stability of the goods
If the goods are tilted, shaken due to the offset of the center of gravity, or the packaging is loose (such as damaged cartons, leakage of barreled liquids), regardless of whether they are overweight, the goods must be reinforced first (such as wrapping with stretch film, adding baffles), otherwise lifting is prohibited.
II. Adjust operation methods to balance the center of gravity
Optimize fork position and mast angle
If the center of gravity of the goods is biased to the left, the left fork can be extended as far as possible into the bottom of the goods, and the right fork can be appropriately shortened (but it is necessary to ensure that at least 2/3 of the fork length enters under the goods to avoid falling off), so as to reduce the offset range of the center of gravity by adjusting the fork distance.
After lifting, tilt the mast backward to the maximum angle, so that the goods are close to the retaining shelf, and use the backward tilting force of the mast to offset part of the torque caused by the offset center of gravity, preventing the goods from tipping forward or sideways.
Control the height of goods and driving speed
When lifting goods, only lift them to within 30cm from the ground (lower than the conventional 30-50cm) to reduce the height of the center of gravity and reduce the risk of rollover.
During driving, the speed must be reduced to below 5km/h. Avoid sudden acceleration, sudden braking or turning. When turning, try to increase the turning radius and operate the steering wheel slowly to prevent centrifugal force from aggravating the offset of the center of gravity.
III. Reinforce goods with auxiliary tools
Use side-shift forks or adjustable forks
If the forklift is equipped with a side-shift function, the lateral position of the fork can be fine-tuned through the side-shift cylinder to shift the center of gravity of the goods to the central axis of the forklift; the adjustable forks can accurately adjust the distance between the two forks to adapt to the width requirement after the offset of the center of gravity of the goods.
Add auxiliary support devices
Add "counterweights" to the fork on the offset side (must be firmly fixed to avoid falling off), or pad wooden boards/pallets under the offset side of the goods to increase the load-bearing area on that side and balance the center of gravity.
For long goods (such as steel, pipes), special clamps (such as clamps, rotating clamps) can be used instead of forks, and the impact of center of gravity offset can be reduced through encircling fixation.
IV. Emergency handling of special situations
Seek cooperation when unable to handle alone
If the goods are too heavy or severely offset, assistance from others is required: one person commands in a safe area, and the other operates the forklift to ensure that the goods do not shake during lifting; if necessary, use equipment such as cranes to assist in transferring the goods to the pallet before handling with the forklift.
Prohibit forced operation and report in time
If the above methods still cannot balance the center of gravity (for example, more than 1/3 of one side of the goods is suspended), it is necessary to stop the operation immediately, report to the person in charge, and evaluate whether to replace a forklift with a larger load capacity or split the goods (such as splitting a batch of goods into small batches) before handling.
Summary of core principles
The essence of center of gravity offset is to destroy the stable torque of the forklift. The core of handling is "lowering the center of gravity + reducing the offset range + strengthening fixation". In any case, the bottom line is "no rollover and no falling of goods". It is forbidden to take risks due to tight construction periods, otherwise it may lead to serious consequences such as equipment damage and casualties.
