Forklifts are very dangerous piece of machinery. Statistics by OSHA show that around 100 warehouse employees are killed every year in forklift mishaps while they are using them. An additional 95,000 workers are injured on the job on a yearly basis too, using these heavy pieces of industrial equipment.
Unfortunately, nearly all of the fatalities are due to lift truck turnovers. The second 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 things due to a dropped load is the last statistic. Each fatality or injury is quite awful and frightening due to the immense weight and capability of these machinery.
Who Should Conduct the Training?
All evaluation and training needs to be taught by people who have the appropriate education, experience and knowledge to teach powered industrial truck operators the correct skills and then to evaluate their competence afterwards. Some examples of a skilled trainer include an individual who has a license, certified degree or professional standing in their possession, or who has extensive training, experience and knowledge utilizing forklifts. A good candidate has a lot of practice and has shown the ability to train and assess industrial truck operators.
If the employer does not want to perform the training himself, there are many resources available for them to pick from. Like for instance, they can hire in local health and safety organizations, like truck manufacturers, the National Safety Council local chapters, or private teaching consultants who specialize in powered industrial trucks. There are normally local trade and vocational schools that will be happy to provide several great resources.
The internet is full of sites committed to the safety of lift trucks. There are also private companies which offer lift truck safety training services, such as written programs and videos. Nearly all safety videos can either be purchased or rented or leased. One very vital thing to consider is that simply by showing your employees a video or a series of videos on forklift safety, does not meet the full requirements of the OSHA standard. Succeeding training and knowledge of the new operators must be conveyed and assessed by a particular way so as to make sure that the full training has been obtained.
When operators have passed their training requirements, they will receive a forklift license which allows them to drive a forklift. Valid forklift licenses are a requirement by organizations to be able to keep everybody at the workplace as safe as possible.