The lift truck is a dangerous equipment. The newest data have shown that over 100 employees are killed in some type of forklift mishap. 95,000 more employees are injured on the job each and every year too, utilizing these heavy pieces of industrial machines.
Unfortunately, most of the fatalities are because of lift truck turnovers. The second highest percentage of fatalities is due to being crushed between a forklift and another surface. The next highest cause of fatality is being struck by the lift truck itself and last of all, getting hit from falling objects due to a dropped load is the last statistic. Each fatality or injury is quite frightening and terrible due to the capability and immense weight of these machinery.
Who Must Perform the Training?
All assessment and teaching has to be trained by individuals who have the proper education, experience and knowledge to teach powered industrial truck operators the right skills and then to evaluate their competence afterwards. Several examples of a skilled trainer include an individual who has a certificate, professional standing or certified degree in their possession, or who has extensive training, knowledge and experience utilizing forklifts. A good candidate has lots of practice and has demonstrated the ability to teach and assess drivers of industrial trucks.
If the employer does not wish to perform the training himself, there are numerous resources available for them to select from. For instance, they could employ in local health and safety organizations, including truck manufacturers, the National Safety Council local chapters, or private training consultants who specialize in powered industrial trucks. There are often local trade and vocational schools which will be happy to offer several great resources.
There are lots of sites on the Internet which are devoted to lift truck safety. Private businesses can be found on line who offer forklift safety training services, such as written programs and videos. The majority of safety videos could either be rented or leased or purchased. One vital factor to take into account is that simply by showing your workers a video or a series of videos on 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 acquired.
Once the driver has successfully passed all of the required training, a forklift certificate would be given and they would legally be able to operate a forklift. Valid forklift certificates are a requirement by organizations in order to keep everyone at the workplace very safe.