The Case of the TIPPING FORKLIFT

摘要

This Math Toolbox article will be the first of two installments on the role of levers in occupational safety. Because levers can amplify force, they provide the basis for many helpful devices, including pry bars, wrenches, pliers and wheelbarrows. When we lose control of levers, on the other hand, their unchecked actions may cause injuries. Figure 1 illustrates the tragic consequence of an out-of-control lever in the form of an overloaded forklift. In this case, the weight of two bundles of lumber caused an undersized forklift to tip forward. The top bundle struck and killed the truck driver, who was between the load and the trailer.