The lift truck is a dangerous machine. The latest data have shown that more than 100 workers are killed in some type of forklift mishap. An extra 95,000 workers are injured on the job on an annual basis as well, using these heavy pieces of industrial equipment.
Sadly, most of the fatalities are because of forklift turnovers. The next highest percentage of fatalities is due to being crushed between a lift truck and another surface. The third highest cause of death is being struck by the lift truck itself and last but not least, getting hit from falling items because of a dropped load is the last statistic. Each injury or fatality is quite terrible and gruesome due to the immense weight and capability of these equipment.
Who Must Perform the Training?
All assessment and training needs to be taught by individuals who have the correct education, experience and knowledge to train powered industrial truck drivers the right skills and then to evaluate their competence after that. Some examples of a skilled trainer include an individual who has a license, specialized degree or professional status in their possession, or somebody who has extensive training, knowledge and experience utilizing forklifts. A good candidate has lots of experience and has demonstrated the ability to train and evaluate industrial truck drivers.
If the employer does not wish to perform the training himself, there are numerous resources accessible for them to select from. Like for example, they can hire in local health and safety organizations, including truck manufacturers, the National Safety Council local chapters, or private teaching consultants who specialize in powered industrial trucks. There are usually local vocational and trade schools that will be really glad to offer some great resources.
There are numerous sites on the Internet who are dedicated to forklift safety. Private businesses can be found online who offer lift truck safety training services, such as written programs and videos. Most safety videos could either be leased or rented or bought. One really essential thing to consider is that simply by showing your workers a video or a series of videos about lift truck safety, does not meet the full requirements of the OSHA standard. Succeeding training and skill of the new operators must be conveyed and assessed by a particular method in order to ensure the complete training has been acquired.
Once drivers have passed their training requirements, they will receive a forklift certificate that allows them to drive a forklift. Valid forklift licenses are a requirement by organizations so as to keep everyone at the workplace as safe as possible.