The forklift is a dangerous equipment. The newest data have shown that more than 100 workers are killed in some form of forklift mishap. 95,000 more workers are hurt on the job on an annual basis too, utilizing these heavy pieces of industrial machinery.
Most fatalities have been due to lift truck turnovers. Being crushed between the forklift and another surface is the second highest percentage of fatalities. The third highest cause of fatality 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 injury or fatality is quite frightening and terrible due to the immense weight and capability of these equipment.
Who Must Perform the Training?
All training and assessment for forklift operation has to be trained by correctly trained instructors. These trainers must have the knowledge and experience to teach potential operators the required skills to assess their competency afterwards. Some examples of a skilled trainer consist of an individual who has a certificate, professional standing or specialized degree in their possession, or someone who has extensive training, experience and knowledge with lift trucks. A good candidate has a lot of experience and has demonstrated the ability to train and evaluate industrial truck drivers.
There are resources accessible to select from if their employer does not wish to perform the training themselves. Like for instance, they could employ in local health and safety organizations, like for example the National Safety Council local chapters, truck manufacturers, or private training consultants who specialize in powered industrial trucks. There are normally local vocational and trade schools that will be really happy to offer some great resources.
There are numerous websites on the Internet which are dedicated to lift truck safety. Private companies could be found on-line that provide forklift safety training services, like written programs and videos. Most safety videos could either be purchased or rented or leased. One vital thing to consider 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. Subsequent training and skill of the new drivers must be conveyed and assessed by a particular way in order to ensure the complete training has been obtained.
When the operator has successfully passed all of the necessary training, a forklift certificate will be given and they would legally be able to drive a lift truck. Valid lift truck certificates are a requirement by organizations in order to keep everyone at the workplace very safe.