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Safety first

Number of messages: 5

vic_k
Ayrshire, United Kingdom

On certain makes of truck, the steer sytem is by fixed drag link to the steer axle. If the steered wheels contact a kerb, the force can be transmitted back through the steer linkages and cause the steering wheel to turnrapidly. If a steer knob is fitted, this can cause injury to the driver. With full hydraulic steering , this should not occur.

Posted 24 Jun 2004 07:53 PM

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Al_S
Alberta, Canada

The history of the steering knob comes from the highway tractor of the 50's & 60's and were used because some of these trucks took 20 turns of the steering wheel lock to lock, some knobs were 5" high and highly decorative, they were outlawed in some states and provinces because truckers were getting impaled during accidents and also broken thumbs if they lost their grip on the knob when turniing.

I have never seen a law where they were outlawed on industrial equipment though.

However I recommend they be used on forklifts with full hydrostatic steering only and to use only the short fat knobs placed in the 8:00 to 10:00 positions and also to be used by the left hand only.

Avoid the 6:00 and 4:00 to 2:00 positions as this reduces interfence of the big tummy and discourages steering with the right hand.

Regards

-------------------------
Alberta Forklift Safety Council Serious about safety!

Posted 31 Jul 2004 01:58 PM

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garry_p
New Brunswick, Canada

Anyone using a steering knob on a lift truck must ask one important question first:
Did it come from the factory with a steering knob or was it installed later?
If a steering knob was installed after it left the factory, it could in fact be an alteration or modification and should be approved - in writing by the manufacturer prior to use. If prior authorization has not been received, it is possible that the end user could be liable for it's use.
We need to consider the problems when using a steering knob:
What you'll see in print relates to road feedback or kickback (as stated earlier) of the steering wheel and an operator breaking/injuring their thumb or wrist.
You'll also see in some standards that, steering knobs must be within the width of the steering wheel and operators should hold palm style, not with their hand vertical.
What you won't see in print (usually) is: lift trucks that have a steering knob will cut and turn that much sharper and with rear end swing a steering knob could be a partial cause of a lift truck lateral tip-over.
What you also won't see in print is:
Operators not used to using a steering knob could fail to use it and their hand could hit the steering knob and they could lose control of the steering.
Loose clothing could get caught up by a steering knob and again, cause the operator to loose control of the steering.
Another potential problem - just mentioned to me this week by an operator is that is it could aggrevate or cause a problem with tennis elbow.
Reading the replies on this list gave me one more reason for a potential problem - a head on collision and a knob hitting the operator as they lurched forward (cause they probably didn't have their seat belt on - "tongue in cheek". That's a whole other conversation).
Steering knobs are necessary on one handed steering like narrow aisle stand up rider trucks, but if you have one on a sit-down rider type counterbalanced lift truck, I think it would be wise to review unless it came directly from the factory with a knob.

Posted 7 Nov 2004 10:34 PM

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