Lift trucks are really dangerous machines. Data by OSHA show that approximately 100 warehouse employees are killed each and every year in lift truck accidents while they are utilizing them. 95,000 more workers are injured on the job on an annual basis too, utilizing these heavy pieces of industrial machines.
Sadly, nearly all of the fatalities are due to forklift turnovers. The second highest percentage of fatalities is due to being crushed between a lift truck and another surface. 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 death is quite frightening and awful due to the immense weight and ability of these machinery.
Who Must Perform the Training?
All assessment and teaching has to be taught by people who have the appropriate training, knowledge and experience to train powered industrial truck operators the correct skills and then to assess their competence after that. Some examples of a skilled trainer include an individual who has a certificate, certified degree or professional standing in their possession, or who has extensive training, knowledge and experience using lift trucks. A good candidate has lots of experience and has shown the capability to teach and evaluate operators of industrial trucks.
If the employer does not wish to perform the training himself, there are numerous resources available for them to select from. Like for instance, they can hire in local health and safety organizations, like for instance truck manufacturers, the National Safety Council local chapters, or private training consultants who specialize in powered industrial trucks. There are often local vocational and trade schools which would be glad to provide several great resources.
There are a lot of sites on the World Wide Web which are devoted to lift truck safety. Private businesses can be found on-line that provide forklift safety training services, such as videos and written programs. Most safety videos could either be rented or leased or purchased. One really vital thing to consider is that simply by showing your workers a series of videos or a video about lift truck safety, does not meet the full requirements of the OSHA standard. Succeeding training and skill of the new operators should be conveyed and assessed by a specific method in order to make certain that the complete training has been acquired.
When operators have passed their training requirements, they will be given a forklift license which enables them to drive a forklift. Valid lift truck licenses are a requirement by organizations to be able to keep everyone at the workplace very safe.