The lift truck is a dangerous equipment. The most recent data have shown that more than 100 workers are killed in some type of forklift accident. An extra 95,000 workers are injured on the job on an annual basis as well, utilizing these heavy pieces of industrial equipment.
Sadly, most of the fatalities are because of lift truck turnovers. The next highest percentage of fatalities is due to being crushed between a forklift and another surface. The next highest cause of fatality is being struck by the lift truck itself and last of all, getting hit from falling things because of a dropped load is the last statistic. Each and every fatality or injury is quite terrible and frightening due to the ability and immense weight of these machinery.
Who Should Conduct the Training?
All evaluation and training has to be trained by people who have the proper training, experience and knowledge to train powered industrial truck drivers the correct skills and then to assess their competency after that. Some examples of a qualified trainer include a person who has a license, specialized degree or professional standing in their possession, or who has extensive training, knowledge and experience using forklifts. A good candidate has lots of experience and has demonstrated the ability to teach and assess industrial truck operators.
If the employer does not wish to perform the training himself, there are numerous resources available for them to choose from. Like for instance, they could employ 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 normally local vocational and trade schools that will be glad to offer several great resources.
There are many sites on the World Wide Web which are committed to lift truck safety. Private companies can be found online who provide forklift safety training services, such as videos and written programs. The majority of safety videos can either be rented or leased or purchased. One essential factor to take into account 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. Subsequent training and knowledge of the new drivers must be conveyed and assessed by a specific way in order to make certain that the complete training has been acquired.
When drivers have passed their training requirements, they would receive a forklift license which allows them to drive a lift truck. Valid lift truck certificates are a requirement by organizations so as to keep everyone at the workplace as safe as possible.