There's nothing funny about forklift safety. More than 20,000 injuries related to forklifts occur in U.S. workplaces each year. Many employees are injured when lift trucks are inadvertently driven off loading docks, lifts fall between docks and an unsecured trailer, they are struck by a lift truck, or when they fall while on elevated pallets and tines. Most incidents also involve property damage, including damage to overhead sprinklers, racking, pipes, walls, and machinery.
According to OSHA, most employee injuries and property damage can be attributed to lack of safe operating procedures, lack of safety rule enforcement, and insufficient or inadequate training. OSHA rules are designed to prevent such injuries.
It's no surprise, then, that violations of OSHA's powered industrial truck standard rank in the top 10 most frequently violated OSHA standards each year. In 2008, OSHA issued about 3,500 citations, most of which were related to training.
Forklifts are heavy machines that can seriously injure or kill people; they're not like mini-cars in an amusement park. Remind employees that forklifts can topple over, collide with objects (and people), and drop heavy loads, as well as represent a possible fire and explosion hazard when refueling.
Operators need more than just the basics. OSHA's standard has specific requirements for operator training that require a combination of formal training with practical instruction, as well as an evaluation and certification process. The standard says that only those who are already competent operators can provide this training, and also specifies a long list of required training topics.
Once trained, operators need refresher training and evaluation at least every 3 years-more often for operators who have a record of accidents or near-misses. And speaking of near misses-don't take them lightly! Use them as an opportunity for formal or informal safety training so the "real thing" doesn't happen at your facility. Trainers should refer to the OSHA standard to make sure all the required subject matter is covered.
More Forklift Safety Compliance and Training Resources
From Safety.BLR.com
From the BLR Catalog