Lift trucks are really dangerous piece of machinery. Data by OSHA show that approximately 100 warehouse employees are killed every year in lift truck accidents while they are utilizing them. 95,000 more workers are hurt on the job each and every year as well, using these heavy pieces of industrial machinery.
Unfortunately, most of the fatalities are due to forklift turnovers. The next highest percentage of fatalities is due to being crushed between a forklift and another surface. The third highest cause of fatality is being struck by the forklift itself and last but not least, getting hit from falling objects due to a dropped load is the last statistic. Each and every injury or death is quite gruesome and awful due to the immense weight and capability of these machinery.
Who Should Conduct the Training?
All assessment and teaching needs to be taught by people who have the correct training, experience and knowledge to teach powered industrial truck operators the correct skills and then to evaluate their competency after that. Several examples of a qualified trainer consist of an individual who has a certificate, certified degree or professional standing in their possession, or who has extensive training, experience and knowledge utilizing lift trucks. A good candidate has lots of experience and has shown the ability to evaluate and train industrial truck operators.
If the employer does not want to perform the training himself, there are numerous resources available for them to select from. Like for instance, they could hire in local health and safety organizations, like for example the National Safety Council local chapters, truck manufacturers, or private training consultants who specialize in powered industrial trucks. There are often local trade and vocational schools which will be happy to offer some great resources.
There are a lot of web sites on the World Wide Web which are devoted to forklift safety. Private businesses can be found on line that provide lift truck safety training services, such as written programs and videos. Most safety videos can either be purchased or leased or rented. One really vital factor to think about is that simply by showing your workers a video or a series of videos about forklift safety, does not meet the full requirements of the OSHA standard. Subsequent training and knowledge of the new drivers has to be conveyed and evaluated by a specific way in order to ensure the full training has been obtained.
When drivers have passed their training requirements, they would receive a lift truck license that permits them to operate a forklift. Valid lift truck licenses are a requirement by organizations to be able to keep everybody at the workplace very safe.