“Powered Industrial Trucks” is OSHA’s term for a broad category of vehicles, more commonly known as “forklifts”, and are used primarily to move various objects from one location to another.   Although these versatile tools are indispensable to many companies, using them poses risks for both their operators and others who work near or on them as confirmed by agency reports that nearly 100,000 accidents involving forklifts occur on average annually.  Based on an estimated population of approximately 900, 000 currently in use nationally, more than ten percent are involved in employee injuries or fatalities each year.  The following are typical cases from last year according to OSHA records:

  • Employee is crushed and killed by forklift (8/8/16)
  • Employee is crushed and killed by gin pole truck (10/6/16)
  • Employee is struck and killed by forklift (11/16/16)
  • Employee repairing forklift is crushed and killed by falling assembly (12/5/16)
  • Employee falls from scaffold box while being hosted by forklift (12/19/16)

Clearly, employers must make every effort to protect employees from these potentially dangerous vehicles.  To reduce the number of accidents, OSHA has established specific tasks that employers must perform.  The key features of these mandates are listed below:

  • Develop a program that trains operators and alerts non-operators to the hazards created by their presence in the workplace. The program also must encompass training for all types of powered industrial trucks so that current and prospective operators are familiar with the special characteristics of each.

 

  • Enlist a competent person or persons to provide the training. This means only knowledgeable and experienced individuals may become instructors, including in-house or third party trainers who meet these qualifications.  Classroom instruction alone is not sufficient.  To be certified, operators must also demonstrate practical skills while maneuvering the forklift during a performance test observed by their instructor.

 

  • Re-certify operators at least every three years. An accident, a near miss incident or other reason may trigger re-fresher training as needed before the three-year period expires.  This interim training also may be necessary when changes in equipment, equipment features or the work place environment occur that may affect the safety of the operator and/or co-workers.

 

  • Maintain written records for each trained operator, including names of both the instructor and the student, plus the date of the training. Records are required to be maintained for the most recent three-year certification period unless performance evaluations occur more frequently. Is this case, the most current information must be on file with the company.
  • Be aware that federal law prohibits anyone UNDER the age of 18 from operating a forklift and anyone OVER the age of 18 who is not properly trained and certified from operating a forklift.

 

 

Forklifts will continue to be one of the most common vehicles found in warehouses, in factories, and on job-sites across the country for years to come.  Their usefulness is undeniable but so too are the hazards they pose when driven by non-certified individuals.  Employers, therefore, must be attentive to OSHA regulations stipulating that operators receive the proper training.  By doing so, the work place will be safer for all employees.

 

Regards from the Safety Department