Understanding Forklift Weight Limits and Capacities

One of the main causes of forklift accidents is the misuse or ignorance of a forklift truck’s weight limit and its capacity. By making your workforce aware of how to discover and calculate these figures and what additional elements may affect them you are providing them with an invaluable preventative tool.

Here is some important information about what the terms mean:

Forklift Load Capacity

Simply put, this is the maximum weight which a forklift can carry safely, this information can be found on the load capacity data plate. This limit should not be exceeded under any circumstances, however there are also other considerations which need to be made based upon what you are carrying.

Forklift Load Centre

Load centre is one of the main things which effects how much a forklift can carry, information on this can also be found on the load capacity data plate. This figure instructs you on the maximum size of your load’s centre of gravity. If it is exceeded it can cause the forklift to tip.