SNS Training Video: Pallet Jack Operation

The following is a text alternative description for SNS Traini​ng Video: Pallet Jack Operation.

[This training video features an unknown female using a manual pallet jack to lift and move a large pallet of materials  from one location to another inside a warehouse while the narrator provides step by step instructions on how to safely operate it.]

Male Narrator: A pallet jack is a simple device that allow a person to pick up and move palletized loads over short distances. Pallet jacks are quite useful and can be found in most warehouses and at some construction sites. They are cheaper and easier to operate than forklifts, are generally safer than manual labor. Most pallet jacks can lift a little more than 7,000 pounds. However, the units found in our FMS have a fifty-five hundred (5,500) pound capacity.  Pallet jacks come in two variations: manual and electric. This training will focus on the operational use of a manual pallet jack. This training will focus on the operational use of a manual pallet jack. 

To use a pallet jack follow these steps:

1. First, find the release lever which is typically found in the middle of the rounded handle.


2. Position yourself in front of the handle and push the small lever up. This allows the pallet jack forks to drop to their lowest position.


3. Now you are ready to push the pallet jack over to the items that need to be moved. Hand pallet jacks have a simple raise/neutral/lower operating method. 


4. With the forks already lowered slide them underneath the pallet that you're planning to move. Make sure you push the forks all the way through the underside of the pallet so that the wheels are resting on the floor and not on any part of the pallet.


5. Once the forks are positioned underneath the pallet, push the actuating lever down, then begin pumping the handle up and down. You should feel some resistance and notice the forks slowly lifting the pallet.


6. Continue pumping the handle several times so that pallet is clearly off the floor.  A clearance of one inch between the floor and pallet is usually sufficient when moving a load.


7. To move a load, engage the actuating lever in the neutral or middle position. This position disengages the lifting mechanism, making the handle free from hydraulic resistance which allow the forks to stay in the raised position.

When moving a pallet jack one might ask if it's more effective to push or pull the load. The answer is simply this; pulling a pallet jack increase the chances of you being run into by the pallet if you need to stop suddenly. By pulling, you also increase the possibility of injuring your lower back.  That's why when the choice to push or pull a pallet jack arises, it's generally safer to push it. Also, when pushing you have better control to steer and maneuver away from obstacles and sudden stops are much easier to manage.

[The video ends.]