Forklifts are really dangerous machines. Data by OSHA show that about 100 warehouse employees are killed every year in forklift mishaps while they are operating them. An additional 95,000 employees are injured on the job on an annual basis as well, using these heavy pieces of industrial equipment.
Unfortunately, most 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 objects because of a dropped load is the last statistic. Each and every fatality or injury is quite frightening and terrible due to the immense weight and ability of these machinery.
Who Should Perform the Training?
All assessment and teaching needs to be trained by people who have the right training, experience and knowledge to train powered industrial truck operators the correct skills and then to evaluate their competence after that. Some examples of a skilled trainer consist of a person who has a certificate, professional standing or certified degree in their possession, or who has extensive training, knowledge and experience using forklifts. A good candidate has a lot of practice and has shown the capability to evaluate and train drivers of industrial trucks.
If the employer does not wish to perform the training himself, there are many resources available for them to choose from. Like for instance, they can hire in local health and safety organizations, like the National Safety Council local chapters, truck manufacturers, or private teaching consultants who specialize in powered industrial trucks. There are usually local vocational and trade schools which would be happy to offer several great resources.
The World Wide Web is full of sites committed to the safety of forklifts. There are also private companies who offer forklift safety training services, such as written programs and videos. The majority of safety videos could either be leased or rented or bought. One very essential factor to take into consideration is that simply by showing your workers a series of videos or a video on lift truck safety, does not meet the full requirements of the OSHA standard. Subsequent training and knowledge of the new drivers needs to be conveyed and evaluated by a specific way in order to make sure that the complete training has been acquired.
When the driver has successfully passed all of the necessary training, a lift truck certificate will be issued and they would legally be able to drive a forklift. Valid lift truck licenses are a requirement by organizations to be able to keep everyone at the workplace as safe as possible.