Regardless of what you call them powered industrial trucks, towmotors or forklifts, they are some of the most common – and most powerful – pieces of equipment in industrial workplaces. With this power, comes the potential for serious hazards.
OSHA's Powered Industrial Truck standard, 1910.178, prescribes safety requirements addressing many of these hazards. It covers safe operation of forklifts, operator training, and who can train operators. However, the regulations are vague in some cases, and on some issues are completely silent.
Earth-moving equipment along with golf carts and scissors lifts do not fall under the standard, even if the equipment has been modified to accept forks. However, the standard does apply to stand-up forklifts, as well as to order pickers and even to powered pallet jacks/trucks.
The general rule of thumb is if it's powered and designed to move materials other than dirt then it's covered by 1910.178.
Join J.J. Keller & Associates for its next complimentary Webcast, Forklifts: Frequently asked questions on OSHA's standard, on Wednesday, June 23, at 1 p.m. Central time (2 p.m. Eastern / 12 noon Mountain / 11 a.m. Pacific). You can register for this free Webcast by clicking here.
This Webcast will provide an overview of OSHA's forklift requirements and answer frequently asked questions. It will cover:
- Trainer qualifications
- Training program content
- Refresher training and evaluation
- Forklift inspection and maintenance
- Attachments and modifications
- And much more
Do you have questions on this topic? If so, let J.J. Keller & Associates know. They will try to incorporate the answer into the material presented during the Webcast. You will also be able to ask questions during the Webcast.
