The lift truck is a dangerous machinery. The latest statistics have shown that over 100 workers are killed in some kind of lift truck mishap. 95,000 more employees are injured on the job each year as well, utilizing these heavy pieces of industrial machines.
Sadly, most of the fatalities are due to forklift turnovers. The second highest percentage of fatalities is due to being crushed between a forklift and another surface. The next highest cause of death is being struck by the forklift itself and last but not least, getting hit from falling objects because of a dropped load is the last statistic. Every death or injury is quite awful and gruesome due to the ability and immense weight of these equipment.
Who Must Perform the Training?
All evaluation and training needs to be taught by people who have the appropriate training, knowledge and experience to teach powered industrial truck operators the right skills and then to assess their competence after that. Several examples of a qualified trainer include an individual who has a certificate, professional standing or certified degree in their possession, or who has extensive training, experience and knowledge utilizing lift trucks. A good candidate has lots of practice and has demonstrated the ability to teach and evaluate industrial truck drivers.
If the employer does not wish to perform the training himself, there are numerous resources available for them to pick from. For instance, they could hire in local health and safety organizations, including the National Safety Council local chapters, truck manufacturers, or private training consultants who specialize in powered industrial trucks. There are often local vocational and trade schools that would be very glad to provide some great resources.
There are many sites on the World Wide Web that are dedicated to forklift safety. Private businesses can be found on-line that provide lift truck safety training services, such as written programs and videos. The majority of safety videos could either be rented or leased or bought. One essential factor to consider is that simply by showing your employees a video or a series of videos about lift truck safety, does not meet the full requirements of the OSHA standard. Subsequent training and skill of the new drivers should be conveyed and assessed by a particular method in order to make certain that the complete training has been acquired.
Once drivers have passed their training requirements, they will receive a forklift license that permits them to operate a lift truck. Valid lift truck licenses are a requirement by organizations to be able to keep everyone at the workplace as safe as possible.