Caterpillar presents “The Color of Danger,” a circa 1960 safety film. With a jazzy soundtrack, the film reminds its viewer that signs can’t be everywhere that danger might appear so it’s up to employees to remain vigilant on the job and to think ahead. Forklift operators are shown going about their daily routines in the opening minutes of the film and at mark 02:00 uses a coloring book-inspired animation sequence to show what dangers might be labeled “red” if possible — “places where the worst might happen if the operator was not alert.” From faulty steering to a general disregard for safety, the film unfolds to show different potentially dangerous scenarios as an operator crashes into a temporary streamline (mark 03:20). Keeping the forks low and gaining clear sight lines, even it means traveling in reverse, are signs of cautious operators, the viewer is told, before looking at other “color of danger” scenes starting at mark 04:30 as an operator proceeds too quickly and with an obstructed view. More cautious operators are again shown testing their brakes and using extra caution when removing a load from a great height (mark 08:45) — though as is shown sometimes accidents will happen. Although forklifts are capable of carrying great weights, they are not designed to carry passengers, the narrator says at mark 09:15 as two workers jump onto the forks for a free ride … to danger … as they collide with another operator and are thrown to the ground. Less than a minute later, an office worker walks into raised forks after flirting with an operator. “This is a great way to cool a beautiful friendship,” deadpans the narrator as “blood” streams from the girl’s face (mark 10:00). Driving while emotionally compromised or on slick surfaces can also be recipes for disaster if not approached with added caution, we are told, as is traveling with too many loads on a lift (mark 13:30). Forgetting a machine’s limits and capabilities or failing to watch for the colors of danger, the narrator says in summation, will certainly end in disaster.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
