Lift trucks are really dangerous machines. Data by OSHA show that approximately 100 warehouse employees are killed every year in lift truck accidents while they are operating them. 95,000 more workers are hurt on the job on a yearly basis too, using these heavy pieces of industrial machinery.
Most fatalities have been because of forklift turnovers. Being crushed between the lift truck and another surface is the next highest percentage of fatalities. The third highest cause of death is being struck by the lift truck itself and last but not least, getting hit from falling objects because of a dropped load is the last statistic. Every fatality or injury is quite terrible and gruesome because of the capability and immense weight of these equipment.
Who Must Conduct the Training?
All evaluation and training needs to be taught by individuals who have the appropriate education, knowledge and experience to teach powered industrial truck drivers the correct skills and then to evaluate their competency afterwards. Several examples of a qualified trainer include a person who has a license, specialized degree or professional standing in their possession, or somebody who has extensive training, knowledge and experience using lift trucks. A good candidate has lots of practice and has demonstrated the ability to train and assess operators of industrial trucks.
If the employer does not wish to perform the training himself, there are many resources available for them to select from. Like for instance, they could hire in local health and safety organizations, including the National Safety Council local chapters, truck manufacturers, or private training consultants who specialize in powered industrial trucks. There are normally local trade and vocational schools which will be happy to provide some great resources.
There are numerous sites on the World Wide Web who are dedicated to forklift safety. Private businesses can be found online who provide forklift safety training services, such as videos and written programs. The majority of safety videos could either be leased or rented or purchased. One really vital factor to take into consideration is that simply by showing your employees a series of videos or a video on forklift safety, does not meet the full requirements of the OSHA standard. Subsequent training and skill of the new drivers must be conveyed and evaluated by a particular method so as to make sure that the complete training has been acquired.
Once the driver has successfully passed all of the required training, a lift truck license would be issued and they will legally be able to drive a lift truck. Valid lift truck certificates are a requirement by organizations in order to keep everybody at the workplace as safe as possible.