Forklift safety cage

[Paul Allwood]

Today I made a start on modifying an old steel stillage I bought for $50 to turn it into a forklift safety cage.

Here's what I'm starting with.





The first job was to get the uprights square to the base. It's hard to see in the pics but they were pushed inwards by about 2" at the top. For this I used some chain and a cab lifter that I made to raise the cab on our Unimog. It was slow to get set up but it worked.

17 September 2026

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

It's not perfect but close enough for me.



I made brackets to locate the fork tines so I can lift it from either the long or short side and welded them to the underside of the base.





Next up, some chains or bars for the open sides to stop me falling out.

I'm open to suggestions for what else might be useful if you've used one of these.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Just off the top of my head, I would think some sort of "D rings" in order to attach a "safety rope" or some sort of "safety/limiting harness" ?

 

[Paul Allwood]

Just off the top of my head, I would think some sort of "D rings" in order to attach a "safety rope" or some sort of "safety/limiting harness" ?

You mean like a safety device on a safety device (cage) ?

 

[ruger1980]

One thing you might consider is something to roughen up the floor to help during slippery conditions like expanded steel or grates of some sort. Possibly rubber mats could help with slipping and fatigue.

 

[Bee-Positive]

You mean like a safety device on a safety device (cage) ?

Yes - we don't want to loose you because you were reaching that last 2" because you didn't want to get down and move the cage over.

 

[ken erickson]

While I never used one I would think a built in tool/small parts tray attached along one of the top rails would be a handy addition.

 

[Russell King]

I would add some adjustable length long legs to the four corners since hydraulics can fail. I guess you could add some lock to the lift cylinders for that instead of legs.

 

[Caden]

since hydraulics can fail

I agree on adding legs or stands.

It's one thing to go up on a real forklift, but even worse when you have a tractor that can dump you, roll over, or, unlike a forklift, drop suddenly if a line fails.

Extra safety here can't hurt.