Forklifts are really dangerous piece of machinery. Data by OSHA prove that about 100 warehouse employees are killed each and every year in forklift mishaps while they are using them. 95,000 more employees are injured on the job each and every year too, utilizing these heavy pieces of industrial machinery.
Sadly, most of the fatalities are because of forklift turnovers. The next highest percentage of fatalities is due to being crushed between a lift truck and another surface. The next highest cause of fatality 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. Every injury or death is quite frightening and awful because of the ability and immense weight of these equipment.
Who Must Conduct the Training?
All training and assessment for lift truck operation needs to be trained by appropriately trained instructors. These trainers must have the knowledge and experience to train potential operators the necessary skills to assess their competency after that. Some examples of a qualified trainer comprise a person who has a certificate, professional status or certified degree in their possession, or who has extensive training, experience and knowledge with forklifts. A good candidate has plenty of practice and has demonstrated the capability to teach and evaluate operators of industrial trucks.
There are resources accessible to pick from if their employer does not wish to perform the training themselves. Like for example, they can employ in local health and safety organizations, like truck manufacturers, the National Safety Council local chapters, or private training consultants who specialize in powered industrial trucks. There are usually local vocational and trade schools that would be glad to offer some great resources.
There are many sites on the Internet that are dedicated to lift truck safety. Private businesses could be found online that offer forklift safety training services, like videos and written programs. Most safety videos can either be bought or rented or leased. One important factor to consider 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. Succeeding training and knowledge of the new operators must be conveyed and assessed by a specific way so as to ensure the complete training has been obtained.
When drivers have passed their training requirements, they will be given a forklift certificate which allows them to drive a forklift. Valid forklift licenses are a requirement by organizations so as to keep everyone at the workplace really safe.