The forklift is a dangerous equipment. The newest statistics have proven that over 100 employees are killed in some type of forklift accident. An additional 95,000 workers are injured on the job on a yearly basis as well, utilizing these heavy pieces of industrial machinery.
Unfortunately, nearly all of the fatalities are due to lift truck turnovers. The next highest percentage of fatalities is due to being crushed between a lift truck and another surface. The third highest cause of fatality is being struck by the forklift itself and last but not least, getting hit from falling objects due to a dropped load is the last statistic. Every fatality or injury is quite frightening and awful because of the immense weight and ability of these equipment.
Who Should Perform the Training?
All evaluation and training has to be trained by individuals who have the appropriate training, knowledge and experience to teach powered industrial truck operators the correct skills and then to evaluate their competence after that. Several examples of a qualified trainer consist of a person who has a certificate, professional status or specialized degree in their possession, or somebody who has extensive training, knowledge and experience using forklifts. A good candidate has lots of experience and has demonstrated the capability to assess and train industrial truck drivers.
If the employer does not wish to perform the training himself, there are many resources available for them to select from. Like for instance, they could employ 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 usually local trade and vocational schools that will be really glad to offer several great resources.
There are lots of web sites on the Internet that are dedicated to lift truck safety. Private businesses could be found online that provide forklift safety training services, such as written programs and videos. Most safety videos can either be bought or rented or leased. One vital factor to consider is that simply by showing your employees a series of videos or a video on forklift safety, does not meet the full requirements of the OSHA standard. Subsequent training and skill of the new operators has to be conveyed and evaluated by a specific way in order to make certain that the full training has been acquired.
When the operator 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 lift truck certificates are a requirement by organizations so as to keep everybody at the workplace very safe.