Forklift extension slippers are one of many forklift parts that can compromise safety.

Safety in the workplace is often compromised when forklifts are used to load and unload larger and awkward loads on and off vehicles. Many serious injuries to employees have occurred during the loading and unloading of vehicles as a result of falling pallets. This is particularly common when trying to reach the width of a truck with a forklift. When used correctly, fully certified, load-tested and guaranteed forklift extension slippers can be an effective solution to this problem.

Forklift extension slippers are used as an economic means of extending the effective blade length of forks on a forklift truck. To be considered safe, extension slippers must be designed, manufactured and used in accordance with Australian Standard 2359. It is important to note that the purpose of forklift extension slippers is to temporarily lengthen the fork arms, for load stabilization only. Great care must be taken to ensure that the load is supported by the parent fork arms and not solely by the extension slippers.

According to Australian Standards, extension slippers shall be designed to prevent accidental disengagement from the parent fork and the yield strength of the extensions shall be tested using a safety factor as specified in ISO 2330:2002. Slippers for general usage should be no longer than 167% of the supporting forklift arms (i.e. 60% of the slipper length must be on fork arm). If the slippers are longer than 167%, then the usage of those slippers shall be restricted to their specified application.

In accordance with AS2359.15, manufacturers must supply the following information with each set of extension slippers:

• Mounting instructions
• Capacity rating and limitations of use
• Periodic examination for wear and damage

AS2359.15 states that the following information shall be marked durably and legibly on each set of extension slippers:

• Manufacturer’s mark
• Serial number with year of manufacture
• The rated capacity and load centre distance for the fork-arm extension
• The required blade cross-section and minimum blade length for the parent fork arm

AS2359.1 states that the following information shall be marked durably and legibly on the forklift:

• The rated capacity of the forklift when fitted with the slippers is included on the forklift load rating plate

All attachments supplied by MLA Holdings, including extension slippers, are compliant with Australian Standards. MLA can help you understand the class, length, weight and carrying capacity of both the forklift and the extension slippers that you require. Information for this article was sourced from Australian Standard 2359.15.

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