Forklifts are really dangerous piece of machinery. Statistics by OSHA prove that approximately 100 warehouse employees are killed each and every year in forklift accidents while they are using them. An extra 95,000 workers are hurt on the job on an annual basis as well, utilizing these heavy pieces of industrial machinery.
Most fatalities have been because of lift truck turnovers. Being crushed between the lift truck and another surface is the next highest percentage of fatalities. The third highest cause of death is being struck by the forklift itself and lastly, getting hit from falling objects due to a dropped load is the last statistic. Each death or injury is quite awful and frightening due to the immense weight and capability of these machines.
Who Should Perform the Training?
All evaluation and training needs to be taught by individuals who have the correct education, knowledge and experience to train powered industrial truck operators the right skills and then to assess their competence afterwards. Some examples of a qualified trainer consist of a person who has a certificate, professional status or certified degree in their possession, or who has extensive training, experience and knowledge using forklifts. A good candidate has plenty of experience and has demonstrated the ability to teach and assess industrial truck operators.
There are resources accessible to choose from if their employer does not wish to perform the training themselves. For example, they can 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 which would be happy to offer some great resources.
There are numerous websites on the World Wide Web which are dedicated to forklift safety. Private businesses could be found online that provide lift truck safety training services, such as written programs and videos. Most safety videos could either be leased or rented or bought. One essential factor to consider is that simply by showing your workers a series of videos or a video about forklift safety, does not meet the full requirements of the OSHA standard. Subsequent training and knowledge of the new drivers should be conveyed and assessed by a particular way in order to ensure the full training has been acquired.
Once operators have passed their training requirements, they would be given a lift truck certificate that permits them to operate a lift truck. Valid forklift licenses are a requirement by organizations so as to keep everybody at the workplace as safe as possible.