Lift trucks are really dangerous piece of machinery. Data by OSHA prove that about 100 warehouse employees are killed each and every year in lift truck accidents while they are operating them. An extra 95,000 workers are hurt on the job on a yearly basis as well, using these heavy pieces of industrial machinery.
Most fatalities have been due to forklift turnovers. Being crushed between the forklift and another surface is the next highest percentage of fatalities. The next highest cause of fatality is being struck by the forklift itself and last of all, getting hit from falling things due to a dropped load is the last statistic. Every injury or death is quite frightening and awful due to the ability and immense weight of these equipment.
Who Must Conduct the Training?
All assessment and teaching has to be trained by individuals who have the right training, knowledge and experience to train powered industrial truck operators the right skills and then to assess their competence afterwards. Some examples of a qualified trainer include a person who has a certificate, professional standing or certified degree in their possession, or who has extensive training, experience and knowledge utilizing forklifts. A good candidate has plenty of practice and has demonstrated the capability to train and evaluate industrial truck drivers.
There are resources available to select from if their employer does not want to perform the training themselves. Like for example, they can 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 usually local trade and vocational schools which will be very glad to provide some great resources.
The World Wide Web is full of web sites devoted to the safety of lift trucks. There are also private companies who offer lift truck safety training services, such as written programs and videos. The majority of safety videos can either be leased or rented or purchased. One important factor to consider is that simply by showing your employees a video or a series of videos about lift truck safety, does not meet the full requirements of the OSHA standard. Subsequent training and knowledge of the new operators must be conveyed and assessed by a specific method in order to ensure the complete training has been acquired.
When drivers have passed their training requirements, they would receive a forklift license that allows them to drive a lift truck. Valid lift truck licenses are a requirement by organizations to be able to keep everyone at the workplace as safe as possible.