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BETTESWORTHConstruction
Construction Safety

How to Safely Use a Telehandler for Pick-and-Carry Loads

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Use a telehandler for pick-and-carry work only when the manufacturer allows travel with the specific load and approved attachment, and only with the matching load chart. A suspended load must be treated differently from a pallet resting securely on forks: swing, braking, turning, wind, boom movement and uneven ground can change the load radius and the machine’s stability. Include the hook, jib, slings, shackles and other rigging in the load, keep people out of the fall zone, and stop whenever the chart, route, visibility or site controls are inadequate.

The exact operator’s manual, attachment instructions, site lift plan and local rules control. There is no safe universal capacity, boom extension, slope or travel-speed number for every telehandler.

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What “pick-and-carry” means for a telehandler

Pick-and-carry means lifting a load and travelling with it supported by an attachment. A pallet that remains stable on approved forks presents one set of hazards. A freely suspended load on a lifting hook, jib or similar attachment presents another: it can swing, shift its centre of gravity and increase its effective radius while the machine is moving.

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This article focuses on suspended-load travel because it is the higher-risk case. A static fork rating is not proof that the telehandler remains within capacity while travelling with a hanging load. The machine, attachment, load, route and operating conditions must be assessed as one system.

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UK regulator guidance says lift operations should be properly planned, supervised and carried out safely, and asks users to consider whether a telehandler is the right lifting equipment for the task. Read the Highways Safety Hub guidance and the manufacturer’s instructions before selecting equipment.

1. Confirm that the operation is authorised

Start with the exact machine identification, attachment model and intended load. The operator’s manual must permit suspended-load handling and travel for that configuration. The attachment must be approved for the telehandler, and a legible load chart must cover the machine-and-attachment combination.

  • Check the operator’s manual for suspended-load restrictions, travel instructions and prohibited attachment arrangements.
  • Check the attachment manufacturer’s instructions, rated capacity and connection requirements.
  • Confirm that the site lift plan identifies the load, route, ground conditions, people controls and supervision.
  • Check the rules that apply in your jurisdiction, industry and workplace. UK HSE and Highways Safety Hub publications are useful references, but they do not replace local legal requirements.

If the manufacturer prohibits suspended-load travel, if the attachment is not approved, or if the required chart is missing, do not improvise. The Highways Safety Hub guidance states: “Without the appropriate load chart for the specific attachment a telehandler should not be used for lifting suspended loads.”

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2. Use the correct load chart

A telehandler may have several charts for different attachments and boom configurations. Use the chart for the actual machine, attachment, boom position and load radius. A general fork chart is not a substitute for a chart covering a lifting hook or jib.

Chart check What to verify Do not proceed when
Machine and model The chart identifies the exact telehandler model and any relevant stabiliser or configuration requirement. The chart belongs to another model or its identity cannot be established.
Attachment The hook, jib or other device is listed or explicitly approved, with its own rated capacity. The attachment is homemade, unapproved or absent from the chart.
Load radius The chart covers the horizontal distance created by boom extension and load position. The planned radius is outside the chart or cannot be measured reliably.
Total suspended load Payload plus hook, jib, slings, shackles, spreader and other accessories. Any component’s weight or rating is unknown.
Configuration Required tyres, stabilisers, counterweight, ground condition and boom angle, if specified. The actual setup differs from the chart assumptions.

Use the lower applicable rating when the attachment and telehandler limits differ. Capacity changes as the boom extends and the load moves farther from the machine. Never round an estimated load downward to make it fit; obtain reliable weights and dimensions first.

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3. Verify the load and rigging

Before lifting, establish the load’s weight, centre of gravity, lifting points and likely movement. Include every item that will be carried by the attachment. A hook or jib, slings, shackles, lifting beam and protective hardware all reduce the capacity available for the payload.

Inspect the attachment

  • Check that the attachment is the approved type and is correctly fitted and locked to the carriage or coupler.
  • Inspect hooks, latches, pins, welds, chains, slings, shackles and lifting eyes for damage, distortion, wear or missing markings.
  • Confirm that each component’s working-load limit is suitable for the planned load and hitch arrangement.
  • Do not sling a suspended load over forks or the fork carriage where the manufacturer or site guidance prohibits it.

Control the load

Use lifting points designed for the load. Protect slings from sharp edges, keep the load balanced and make sure the hook is positioned over the centre of gravity before taking the weight. Do not drag a load sideways to bring it into position. Side loading can impose forces that the boom, attachment or rigging was not designed to withstand.

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4. Prepare the ground and travel route

The route is part of the lift plan. The surface must be firm, level enough for the manufacturer’s limits and capable of supporting the telehandler, the attachment and the load. Walk or otherwise assess the entire route before lifting.

  • Identify soft shoulders, voids, trenches, recently backfilled ground, loose aggregate, ice, mud and slippery surfaces.
  • Measure or control slopes. HSE advises avoiding turns or crossing a slope and travelling with the boom lowered so the combined centre of gravity stays as low as possible. See HSE telehandler guidance.
  • Plan around overhead power lines, structures, scaffolds, trees, pipework and other obstructions. Maintain the clearances required by local rules and the site plan.
  • Provide enough turning space and a clear stopping area. Avoid blind corners and routes where the load could strike people or property.
  • Separate pedestrians with barriers or exclusion zones wherever practicable. Keep the planned fall zone clear, including areas the load could reach if it swings or tips.

A route that is acceptable for an empty machine may be unsuitable once the boom and suspended load are added. Reassess after rain, freezing conditions, excavation, traffic changes or any other change in ground support.

5. Complete pre-use checks

Carry out the manufacturer’s daily or pre-use inspection before the lift. Check tyres and wheels, steering, brakes, lights, alarms, hydraulic lines, boom, carriage, attachment locks and restraint system. Verify that mirrors, cameras and other visibility aids are clean and working.

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Where fitted, check the overload indicator or rated-capacity system and understand its warnings. An indicator does not make an unsafe route or an unapproved attachment safe. Record defects and remove the machine from service when a defect affects safe operation.

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Confirm that the operator can see the intended path and landing area. If the load blocks the view, plan a safe alternative such as travelling in the direction that preserves visibility, using a trained signal person, or changing the lift method. Do not travel blind.

6. Establish people, communication and supervision controls

Keep everyone outside the load’s fall zone and away from the telehandler’s path. Never allow anyone to stand under a suspended load or between the load and a fixed object. Check blind spots before moving and use a signal person when the operator cannot maintain a complete view.

The signal person must be visible, positioned outside the danger zone and able to communicate unambiguous instructions. Agree the signals or radio protocol before the lift. The operator remains responsible for stopping when a signal is lost, conflicting or unsafe; a signal person does not override the machine’s limits or the lift plan.

Use a spotter only when that person can remain in a safe position. A spotter who walks beside the load, between the machine and an obstacle, or beneath the boom is exposed to the same hazards the exclusion zone is intended to prevent.

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7. Pick, secure and travel in a controlled sequence

  1. Position the machine. Approach squarely on the planned route, set the parking brake as required and align the attachment with the load’s centre of gravity. Keep the boom in the charted configuration.
  2. Connect the load. Fit the approved hook or jib, connect inspected rigging to the designated lifting points and secure all latches. Keep people clear while rigging.
  3. Take the weight slowly. Raise only enough to confirm that the load is balanced, the rigging is seated and the attachment is secure. Stop and lower if the load tilts, snags or shifts.
  4. Set travel height. Retract the boom as far as practical and keep the load and boom low enough for stability while retaining the required view. Follow the exact manual for minimum clearances and boom position.
  5. Start gradually. Accelerate smoothly. Sudden starts transfer force into the rigging and begin a pendulum swing.
  6. Travel at the required slow speed. Use the slowest speed that suits the surface, visibility and load. Do not assume a speed stated for one model applies to another.
  7. Steer and turn gently. Take wide, deliberate turns where the route permits. Avoid abrupt steering, braking, boom movements and changes of direction that can amplify swing.
  8. Maintain communication. Stop if the operator loses sight of the signal person, the route becomes blocked or a pedestrian enters the exclusion zone.
  9. Set down safely. Stop on the planned landing surface, lower the load under control, release tension only when it is supported and stable, then disconnect rigging without placing hands or feet under the load.

Do not pull a suspended load sideways, use the boom to snatch a stuck load, or adjust the load while travelling when the manual prohibits control movements. Stop in a safe position before repositioning.

8. Understand dynamic stability hazards

Genie’s GTH-1056 Operator’s Manual warns that “A suspended load has a dynamic, and therefore unpredictable, effect on machine stability, so extreme caution should always be exercised when operating with suspended loads.” The warning applies to the way a moving load changes forces, not merely to its static weight.

  • Swing: A hanging load can move outward during a turn, increasing the effective radius and reducing the available capacity.
  • Braking: A quick stop can make the load continue forward, imposing a shock on the rigging and machine.
  • Starts and reversals: Acceleration or a sudden change in direction can start a pendulum motion that is difficult to arrest.
  • Boom movement: Extending, raising or lowering changes radius and stability. Follow the chart and stop before any permitted repositioning.
  • Wind: Large, light or sheet-like loads can act as sails. Wind may push the load into an obstruction or change its radius.
  • Uneven ground: A rut, edge or slope can tilt the machine and move the combined centre of gravity toward a tip-over boundary.

Never use a load’s static balance as proof that travel is safe. The machine must remain within the applicable chart and operating limits throughout movement.

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9. Apply model-specific travel limits

Some manuals give a specific speed for suspended-load travel. For example, the Genie GTH-1056 Operator’s Manual, Fifth Edition, Third Printing, states a maximum walking-speed guidance of 2 mph (3.2 km/h) for carrying a suspended load on that model. That figure is not a universal telehandler limit. Your machine’s manual may specify a different limit, additional conditions or no permitted suspended-load travel at all.

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Even when a manual gives a maximum, conditions may require a slower speed or stopping altogether. Surface defects, wind, a long load, restricted visibility, pedestrians or a narrow route can make the manual maximum inappropriate.

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10. Stop and reassess when conditions change

Stop in a stable location, lower the load if safe and reassess under the lift plan and manufacturer instructions when any of the following occurs:

  • The load begins to swing, rotate, snag or shift.
  • Wind increases or the load behaves like a sail.
  • The route becomes soft, slippery, sloped, obstructed or narrower than planned.
  • A pedestrian, vehicle or unauthorised person enters the exclusion zone.
  • The operator loses visibility or communication with the signal person.
  • An overload, angle, hydraulic or other warning appears.
  • The load weight, centre of gravity, radius or attachment arrangement is uncertain.
  • Any part of the rigging or attachment appears damaged.

Do not try to correct a swinging load with abrupt steering or boom movements. The safest response is controlled stopping and a new assessment. If the chart, attachment approval or site controls cannot be confirmed, end the operation and choose a different method.

Training and competence

Basic telehandler operator training may not include suspended-load lifting or the use of other attachments. The Highways Safety Hub guidance specifically distinguishes those tasks from basic telehandler training. Confirm the additional operator, slinger/signaller and lift-planning competence required by the employer, equipment and jurisdiction.

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Training should cover the actual machine and attachment, interpreting the correct chart, rigging inspection, load-centre effects, route assessment, communication, exclusion zones, emergency stopping and what to do when conditions change. A competent person should plan and supervise the lift at a level appropriate to its complexity.

Historical warning about attachment security

The Highways Safety Hub’s Revision 2 guidance, published in March 2015, recorded five fatalities in the preceding seven years attributed to buckets unintentionally detaching from attachment points, quick hitches or quick couplers. That is a dated historical count, not a current incident rate and not a count of pick-and-carry incidents generally. It nevertheless illustrates why attachment locking, inspection and exclusion zones are fundamental controls.

Decision checklist before authorising the lift

Decision point Evidence required Stop if
Is a telehandler suitable? Lift plan compares the task with the machine’s permitted use and the required reach and mobility. The task exceeds the machine’s intended use or another lifting method is required.
Is the attachment approved? Manufacturer approval, condition inspection and connection check. Approval, locking or condition is uncertain.
Is capacity established? Exact chart, radius, configuration and total suspended weight. No matching chart or reliable weight is available.
Is the route suitable? Ground assessment, slope and obstruction checks, turning space and overhead controls. Ground support, clearance or visibility is inadequate.
Are people controlled? Exclusion zone, signal plan and safe positions for operator and signaller. Anyone can enter the fall zone or communication cannot be maintained.
Are conditions stable? Weather, wind, surface and load behaviour remain within the plan. Swing, wind, warnings or route changes introduce uncertainty.

Answering common operating questions

Can you travel with a load on a telehandler?

Only when the manufacturer permits travel with that load and attachment, the correct chart covers the configuration, and the route and people controls are suitable. A fork capacity chart alone does not authorise travel with a suspended load.

Can a telehandler carry a suspended load?

Some telehandlers and approved attachments are designed for suspended loads; others restrict or prohibit the operation. Check the exact operator’s manual, attachment instructions and chart. If any of those are unavailable, do not lift.

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What load chart is needed for a telehandler lifting hook?

You need the chart for the exact telehandler-and-hook or jib combination, including the planned boom position and radius. Add the hook and all rigging to the suspended weight and use the applicable lower rating.

Sources and further reading

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