The lift truck is a dangerous equipment. The latest data have proven that more than 100 employees are killed in some form of lift truck mishap. 95,000 more workers are injured on the job each year too, using these heavy pieces of industrial machines.
Nearly all fatalities have been because of lift truck turnovers. Being crushed between the lift truck and another surface is the second highest percentage of fatalities. The next highest cause of fatality is being struck by the forklift itself and lastly, getting hit from falling objects due to a dropped load is the last statistic. Each and every injury or fatality is quite gruesome and awful because of the ability and immense weight of these machinery.
Who Should Perform the Training?
All evaluation and training needs to be trained by individuals who have the appropriate education, experience and knowledge to teach powered industrial truck drivers the correct skills and then to evaluate their competence afterwards. Several examples of a qualified trainer include an individual who has a license, professional standing or specialized degree in their possession, or who has extensive training, experience and knowledge utilizing lift trucks. A good candidate has a lot of experience and has demonstrated the ability to evaluate and teach industrial truck operators.
If the employer does not wish to perform the training himself, there are many resources accessible for them to pick from. Like for example, they can employ in local health and safety organizations, like truck manufacturers, the National Safety Council local chapters, or private training consultants who specialize in powered industrial trucks. There are normally local trade and vocational schools which will be very glad to offer several great resources.
There are numerous web sites on the Internet which are dedicated to forklift safety. Private businesses could be found on line which provide forklift safety training services, such as written programs and videos. Nearly all safety videos could either be purchased or rented or leased. One essential factor to think about is that simply by showing your employees a video or a series of videos about forklift safety, does not meet the full requirements of the OSHA standard. Succeeding training and knowledge of the new operators must be conveyed and evaluated by a specific method so as to ensure the full training has been obtained.
Once drivers have passed their training requirements, they will be given a lift truck license that allows them to drive a lift truck. Valid lift truck licenses are a requirement by organizations to be able to keep everybody at the workplace as safe as possible.