Being struck by the guards of the rollover protection cage is the leading cause of deaths in forklift rollover accidents. This is largely due to operators not wearing seat belts while operating a lift truck, according the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH).

When compared to a car, not fastening a seatbelt in a forklift exposes the operator to a higher risk of injuries although forklifts move at speeds much slower than automobiles. An examination of the structure and physical characteristics of a forklift shows us why.

Forklifts, especially those used indoors, such as in warehouses, may give the impression of being giant toys, but they are far from it. In reality, even the smallest riding forklift is heavier than a small automobile. They also have a higher center of gravity. Forklifts are also rear-steering, usually with a pin mounted rear axle. Although, this enables forklifts to move around in tight spaces, it also reduces the effective support base to that of a triangle thus making it easy to tip a forklift over. Therefore, even a small bump on the driving surface or a low curb edge can cause a forklift to tip-over.

When a forklift starts to roll over, the instinctive reaction of the driver is to jump. However as we have seen, forklifts are heavy, have a high center of gravity and lowered equilibrium while turning. Once a fork lift becomes unstable, it tends to come down extremely fast because of its heavy weight, small base of stability and high center of gravity. The bars of the safe cage also get in the way. Therefore, it is nearly impossible for an operator to jump clear. They get caught by the guards of the safety cage and suffer severe injuries, which are often fatal.

About the only thing that can overcome the instinct to jump is the seat harness. Accident investigation reports from OSHA and other regulatory agencies like NIOSH show that drivers who were fastening seatbelts in a rollover incident primarily survived the incident with minor injuries. The lesson is very clear. To avoid fatal injuries, forklift drivers should always use seat belts.