Lift trucks are really dangerous machines. Data by OSHA prove that around 100 warehouse employees are killed each and every year in lift truck mishaps while they are using them. 95,000 more employees are injured on the job on an annual basis as well, using these heavy pieces of industrial machinery.
Nearly all fatalities have been due to forklift turnovers. Being crushed between the forklift 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 of all, getting hit from falling objects due to a dropped load is the last statistic. Each and every injury or fatality is quite frightening and awful due to the ability and immense weight of these equipment.
Who Should Perform the Training?
All training and evaluation for forklift operation needs to be trained by properly trained instructors. These trainers should have the experience and knowledge to train potential operators the required skills to evaluate their competency after that. Several examples of a skilled trainer include an individual who has a license, professional status or specialized degree in their possession, or who has extensive training, knowledge and experience with forklifts. A good candidate has a lot of experience and has shown the ability to evaluate and teach industrial truck drivers.
There are resources accessible to pick from if their employer does not wish to perform the training themselves. For example, they could hire 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 often local vocational and trade schools that will be really glad to provide some great resources.
There are lots of sites on the Internet which are devoted to lift truck safety. Private businesses could be found online that provide forklift safety training services, such as written programs and videos. Most safety videos could either be leased or rented or purchased. One really essential factor to think about is that simply by showing your workers a video or a series of videos on forklift safety, does not meet the full requirements of the OSHA standard. Subsequent training and knowledge of the new operators should be conveyed and assessed by a specific method in order to make sure that the full training has been acquired.
Once drivers have passed their training requirements, they will receive a lift truck certificate that allows them to operate a forklift. Valid lift truck certificates are a requirement by organizations so as to keep everyone at the workplace as safe as possible.