Turning Observation into Action: How Usman Strengthens Forklift Safety Every Day

In a busy warehouse, maintaining both safety and efficiency is essential. Goods move constantly, forklifts operate throughout the day, and the teams work together to keep operations running smoothly. In this environment, safe operations depend on more than procedures alone. They rely on people paying attention, recognising risks, and taking action before problems escalate.

For Usman Ali, Forklift Leader at one of our retail customer sites, that responsibility is part of everyday work.

Strengthening safety through learning

With more than 10 years of experience in warehouse and logistics operations, Usman understands that continuous attention to workplace conditions helps support safe and efficient operations. As the leader of a forklift team of more than 100 colleagues, he spends much of his time observing how work is carried out across the warehouse floor.

During his daily rounds, he identified opportunities to further strengthen safety awareness and consistency in forklift operations. While team members were committed to working safely, differences in experience and working styles meant that safety practices could benefit from additional reinforcement and practical guidance.

Routine briefings helped reinforce expectations, but Usman felt there was a way to make the guidance more practical and easier to understand.

Finding a practical solution

Instead of relying solely on verbal reminders, he decided to create a visual learning tool for the team. Drawing on his knowledge of occupational health and safety requirements and forklift operating procedures, he developed an educational video that demonstrated safe and correct forklift operations.

He prepared the content, coordinated filming with the team, and edited the video himself. He wanted to create a resource that colleagues could easily understand and apply in their daily work.

The video was later incorporated into refresher training sessions and shared as an additional learning resource. It quickly became more than a training aid. The sessions created opportunities for team members to discuss workplace experiences, share ideas, and explore practical ways to strengthen safety together.

For Usman, the value of the initiative extended beyond addressing a specific issue.

The same approach led Usman to address another challenge within forklift operations.

At the time, forklift charging equipment was placed on rented wooden pallets. Frequent wear and tear meant the pallets required regular replacement, creating additional costs and maintenance requirements. Seeking a more sustainable solution, Usman explored alternative approach.

He repurposed damaged metal racking and unused plywood to build sturdy charging tables for the forklift charging area. Working with the maintenance team, he assembled four charging tables that are still in use today.

This simple improvement reduced reliance on rented pallets while creating a safer, more organised charging area for the team. It also reflects that meaningful improvements do not always require significant investment. Sometimes, practical solutions come from making better use of resources that are already available.

Empowerment starts with action

Discipline, responsibility, and compliance with SOPs provide the foundation for safe operations. However, he also believes that improvement will never happen if people simply wait for someone else to act.

Real change begins when someone is willing to take the first step. Through his forklift safety training video and charging station improvement project, Usman has shown how simple actions can create wider benefits. His initiatives have improved safety and operational efficiency, while helping team members learn and work with greater confidence.

His contribution has earned him recognition in the Empowerment category of the OCS Indonesia TRUE Star programme on two occasions.

Usman’s story is a reminder that everyone can make a difference. By showing care and turning observations into action, individuals can help create safer operations and a stronger workplace for everyone.