There are 5 key steps to making sure that safety is a main concern. The initial step is completing a Walk-Around Inspection in order to insure that the unit is visually safe. Then check if the worksite is safe to use with a Worksite Assessment. The Function Test is the third step so as to determine whether or not the unit is working in a safe way. The 4th thing to think about is Proper Operation, in order to determine whether or not the unit is safely operating. Last of all, Proper Shutdown should be checked in order to make sure the model is capable of shutting down correctly and is in a safe place.
At the center of the 5 steps and this regulation, there is a machine which stands on a triangular footprint and lifts heavy weights to impressive heights. The main objective is to be able to keep the telehandler upright, but surely there are dangers.
The two front wheels, and the rear-axle pivot point make up the triangular base of the telehandler. Usually the rear axle oscillates and therefore, the rear wheels are not a part of the base. The telehandler remains upright so long as the center of gravity of the machinery, which is defined as the point in 3 dimensions around which the machine's weight is balanced, stays oriented inside the stability triangle.
When the boom is down, adding a load to the forks at that time changes the center of gravity forward and down. Raising the load would move the center of gravity to the rear and upwards. At the same time, the stability triangle shrinks when this occurs. Hence, the higher you raise a load, the less of a margin for error you have because the stability triangle lessens.
With a stable but small stability triangle, it leaves less room for the center of gravity to move right or left. This wandering action could change the stability triangle, leaving less room for the frame to remain balanced if it is not completely level. For example, imagine the center of gravity resembling a plumb bob hanging from the boom. You will always be able to find the center of gravity someplace on a totally vertical line between the center of the ground and a point on the boom. If the frame is not level, the center of gravity would not be oriented over the machine's centerline. The stability triangle is always aligned with the machine's centerline.