|
Young and Associates Industrial Safety
Forklift o[erator training, evaluation and certification. Why is it important,and what are the requirements? What does OSHA say about the trainer?
Go to Web Site
|
|
|
|
Why Is Training Important?
Protect your Employees
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that tens of thousands of fork lift accidents occur on an annual basis which results in emergency room visits by employees. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that nearly 100,000 workers’ compensation disability claims are paid annually for forklift related accidents
NIOSH reports indicate that better trained forklift drivers can reduce operator error by 70%.
Protect Company Assets
Conservative estimates indicate that North American corporations lose over a billion dollars annually as a direct result of improper forklift operation. This loss takes the form of damaged products and goods, which must be discarded. It also includes damage to facilities, racking and fixtures as well as damages to equipment and the forklifts themselves.
Satisfy OSHA Requirements
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) states in the Department of Labor’s Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1910.178 (1) that: “Only trained and authorized operators shall be permitted to operate a powered industrial truck. Methods shall be devised to train operators in the safe operation of powered industrial trucks.
What are the rquirements?
The employer shall ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation.
Prior to permitting an employee to operate a powered industrial truck (except for training purposes), the employer shall ensure that each operator has successfully completed the training.
What are the refresher training requirements?
Refresher training, including an evaluation of the effectiveness of that training, shall be conducted as required by paragraph (l)(4)(ii) to ensure that the operator has the knowledge and skills needed to operate the powered industrial truck safely.
Refresher training in relevant topics shall be provided to the operator when:
A) The operator has been observed to operate the vehicle in an unsafe manner;
B) The operator has been involved in an accident or near-miss incident;
C) The operator has received an evaluation that reveals that the operator is not operating the truck safely;
D) The operator is assigned to drive a different type of truck; or
E) A condition in the workplace changes in a manner that could affect safe operation of the truck.
1910.178(l)(4)(iii) An evaluation of each powered industrial truck operator's performance shall be conducted at least once every three years.
What does OSHA say about the trainer?
The OSHA regulation 1910.178, Powered Industrial Trucks, revised 12/1/98, paragraph (L)(2)(iii), "Operator Training", states:
(l)(2)(iii) All operator training and evaluation shall be conducted by persons who have the knowledge, training, and experience to train powered industrial truck operators and evaluate their competence.
Does the trainer need to be certified?
Though there are no accreditations or mandated certification qualifications in order to be a trainer or instructor, you, as an employer, have the responsibility to ensure that your trainer has the knowledge, training and experience to train your employees. It is therfore, generally a good idea to have an outside source train and evaluate your trainer to ensure that your employees are being trained by someone who has the knowledge, training, and experience to train powered industrial truck operators and evaluate their competence.
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright © 2003 - 2008 URL.biz. All rights reserved. |
|
