AN instructor HAS to train drivers to load carry and drive trucks the correct way. Double stacking pallets is inherently dangerous even with a flat load smooth floors etc. The upper pallet can move and when cornering probably will, we occasionally find drivers on site doing this and one of 2 things always happens we either dismiss the driver or give them a final written warning you cant mess about with safety yes it costs more to do it right but safety on site shouldn't have a cost.
If you have to move 100 pallets over regularly I suggest you look at truck, operator numbers on site

Carrying pallets 2 high is high risk. Rated distance is also measured vertically so if centre of mass is greater than the rated distance the forklift capacity has to be down rated. Then there are the issues of the driver's view being obstructed, risk of items falling backwards onto operator if load above load guard; risk of items being unstable on forks and falling forward under braking or sideways in turns; fact that the 2nd pallet load is likely to hit a persons upper torso/ head with much increased risk of death or disabling injury...

Hi John thanks for your reply.

First of all you have assumed that a double stacked pallet is going to be higher than any normal load. The pallet with load measures 600mm vertically x 2 is total 1200mm (example). Drivers view will not be obstructed and if view was obstructed just like any other normal load would travel in reverse. The items would never fall on to the operator as this double stacked pallet is being moved from a ground level position to another ground level position also the mast/ load guard would stop any products falling onto the operator.

The only positive feedback I can see is the forks need to be in the pallet.

OK so Health and Safety as Reasonable Practicable.

Some times you have to take your head out of the bible and look at Reasonable Practicable solutions sorry guys.

I assume that some Instructors never actually work in the
operation and live in the perfect world.

A scenario,,,
You have 100 pallets with a load on each to carry gross weight of each load is 250kg, lifting capacity of truck is 2000kg From corner to corner the warehouse is half a mile long. The height of both pallets together are the height of any other standard load. The boxes are solid. The floor surface is smooth. The load on each pallet is wrapped although both pallets are not wrapped together. You have 100 pallets to move so a potential 100 journeys or 50 carrying double stacked pallets.

As I mentioned above a task that may not relate to any training being given so as i see it a risk assessment to be carried out and familiarisation training to be delivered on this procedure.

It also looks like nothing is written about this procedure so I guess we all have our own view on this...

John is absolutely correct; the "load center" is rated at (usually) 24 inches from the FACE of the forks, both the horizontal and the vertical faces of the forks.

Carrying pallets 2 high is high risk. Rated distance is also measured vertically so if centre of mass is greater than the rated distance the forklift capacity has to be down rated. Then there are the issues of the driver's view being obstructed, risk of items falling backwards onto operator if load above load guard; risk of items being unstable on forks and falling forward under braking or sideways in turns; fact that the 2nd pallet load is likely to hit a persons upper torso/ head with much increased risk of death or disabling injury...

As far, as I know, there's no legal definition concerning the amount of pallets stacked, or load height.
Only rule which applies here is to maintain the truck stability (its capacity and its reduction in accordance to load centre distance).
Sometimes in the standards or safety documentation exists a phrase "use the additional means to secure..."
It means that in case of unstable loads, some safety device preventing the collapse should be used. Like load stabilzers or load backrests.
Load backrest is not an obligatory/standard attachment, pretty often the top manufacturers treat it as on option (see Linde).

Even if the pallet isnt over the load guard it could still shift or fall off to the side as it isnt forked to the truck and nothing would be holding it from shifting and falling off the side,especially on turns and such,sounds like a recipe for a accident waiting to happen....