The lift truck is a dangerous machine. The latest statistics have proven that over 100 employees are killed in some form of forklift mishap. 95,000 more employees are hurt on the job on an annual basis as well, utilizing these heavy pieces of industrial machinery.
Nearly all fatalities have been due to forklift turnovers. Being crushed between the lift truck and another surface is the second highest percentage of fatalities. The third highest cause of fatality is being struck by the forklift itself and last but not least, getting hit from falling items because of a dropped load is the last statistic. Each and every injury or fatality is quite gruesome and awful because of the immense weight and ability of these equipment.
Who Must Conduct the Training?
All assessment and training needs to be trained by people who have the right training, knowledge and experience to teach powered industrial truck drivers the right skills and then to evaluate their competence afterwards. Several examples of a skilled trainer include an individual who has a certificate, certified degree or professional status in their possession, or who has extensive training, experience and knowledge with forklifts. A good candidate has a lot of experience and has shown the ability to assess and train industrial truck operators.
If the employer does not want to perform the training himself, there are many resources accessible for them to choose from. For example, they can 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 that would be happy to provide some great resources.
The internet is full of sites dedicated to the safety of forklifts. There are also private businesses who offer forklift safety training services, like videos and written programs. The majority of safety videos could either be bought or rented or leased. One really important thing to consider is that simply by showing your workers a series of videos or a video on forklift safety, does not meet the full requirements of the OSHA standard. Succeeding training and skill of the new drivers has to be conveyed and evaluated by a particular method in order to ensure the full training has been obtained.
When drivers have passed their training requirements, they would receive a forklift certificate which enables them to drive a forklift. Valid forklift licenses are a requirement by organizations in order to keep everyone at the workplace very safe.