There are 5 important steps to ensuring safety is a top priority. The initial step is completing a Walk-Around Inspection to be able to assure that the model is visually safe. Next check if the worksite is safe to operate in with a Worksite Assessment. The Function Test is the third step in order to know whether or not the unit is working safely. The 4th thing to consider is Proper Operation, in order to determine whether or not the model is safely operating. Last of all, Proper Shutdown has to be checked so as to make certain the unit is capable of shutting down properly and is in a safe place.
At the center of the 5 steps and this regulation, there is a machinery which lifts heavy weights to impressive heights and stands on a triangular footprint. The main objective is to be able to maintain the telehandler upright, but for sure there are risks.
The rear-axle pivot point, and the two front wheels make up the triangular base of the telehandler. Normally the rear axle oscillates and hence, the back wheels are not a part of the base. The telehandler remains upright as long as the machine's center of gravity, which is defined as the point in 3 dimensions around which the equipment's weight is balanced, stays oriented in the stability triangle.
When a load is positioned on the forks whilst the boom is down, the center of gravity forward and down. The load if lifted would move the center of gravity upwards to the rear. At the same time, the stability triangle shrinks when this happens. Therefore, the higher you lift a load, the less of a margin for error you have because the stability triangle lessens.
With a small but stable stability triangle, it leaves less room for the center of gravity to move left or right. This wandering action could change the stability triangle, leaving less room for the frame to remain balanced if it is not perfectly level. Like for example, imagine the center of gravity resembling a plumb bob hanging from the boom. You could always find the center of gravity somewhere on a totally vertical line between a point on the boom and the center of the ground. If the frame is not level, the center of gravity would not be oriented over the centerline of the equipment. The stability triangle is continuously aligned with the centerline of the telehandler.