The forklift is a dangerous machine. The newest data have shown that more than 100 workers are killed in some form of forklift mishap. 95,000 more workers are hurt on the job each and every year as well, utilizing these heavy pieces of industrial equipment.
Most fatalities have been due to forklift turnovers. Being crushed between the forklift and another surface is the second highest percentage of fatalities. The next highest cause of death 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. Every injury or fatality is quite terrible and frightening because of the immense weight and ability of these equipment.
Who Should Conduct the Training?
All training and assessment for lift truck operation has to be trained by appropriately trained instructors. These trainers should have the knowledge and experience to teach potential operators the necessary skills to assess their competence after that. Several examples of a qualified trainer consist of a person who has a certificate, certified degree or professional status in their possession, or somebody who has extensive training, knowledge and experience with forklifts. A good candidate has lots of experience and has demonstrated the ability to train and assess operators of industrial trucks.
If the employer does not wish to perform the training himself, there are many resources accessible for them to choose from. Like for instance, they could hire in local health and safety organizations, including the National Safety Council local chapters, truck manufacturers, or private teaching consultants who specialize in powered industrial trucks. There are normally local vocational and trade schools which will be happy to provide some great resources.
The World Wide Web is full of sites dedicated to the safety of forklifts. There are also private companies which offer forklift safety training services, such as videos and written programs. Nearly all safety videos can either be leased or rented or bought. One essential thing to think about 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 knowledge of the new drivers must be conveyed and assessed by a particular way in order to ensure the complete training has been obtained.
Once drivers have passed their training requirements, they will receive a forklift license that allows them to operate a lift truck. Valid lift truck certificates are a requirement by organizations so as to keep everyone at the workplace as safe as possible.