|
What OSHA requires for training in 1910.178 (I) is
very detailed and would take about four pages to describe
it all. Bottom line, all employers who require their
employees to operate a powered industrial truck must
be trained. There is some confusion with some employers
on whether they have to train or not. Some employers
only rent a forklift for just a day or two, so they
often don't train their operators. Another reason employers
don't train is if they get a different style of forklift
in their facility.
Let's try to clear up some of this confusion. The OSHA
Regulation above is very specific. Yes, if you only
rent a forklift for a day or two or more, then you need
to train your operators. Putting an employee on a forklift
that they have never driven before is extremely dangerous.
A forklift lifts loads that weigh thousands of pounds
10, 15, or 20 feet into the air. We now start to get
into a very dangerous balancing act and if the operator
doesn't know what the characteristics of a forklift
are, then the chance of a tip-over is great. If you
are not aware of this, a forklift tip-over, either side-to-side
or a forward tip, is the number one accident involving
a forklift.
Another part of training that is mandated by OSHA requires
that you train your operators on the differences between
a forklift and an automobile. Most employees drive a
car every day of their lives, but very few have driven
a forklift before. An operator has to know that a forklift
steers from the rear, unlike a car that steers up front.
Because they steer from the rear, they make very wide
tail swings. So the operator must not only look forward
as they drive, but look over their shoulders as they
turn so they don't hit any objects, like racking, material,
or worse, pedestrians in the work area!
Some employers have trained their operators on a specific
style of forklift already. Let's use a sit-down style
forklift as an example. The operators are now very used
to this truck and its different characteristics, but
the layout of your facility may have changed and you
now purchase a narrow aisle stand-up style forklift.
Your employees need to be retrained on this style of
forklift and also re-evaluated with a hands-on driving
demonstration.
Training has now become more than just watching a videotape.
You have to do a classroom and a hands-on portion with
your operators. It must be done on each style of forklift
they are required to operate. So if your business owns
a sit-down, standup, or powered pallet truck, you must
train operators on each and also do a hands-on with
each of them. Yes, even if you have one powered pallet
truck, also known as a “walkie,” you have
to train your operators on the safe and proper use of
that style truck. More on this style of truck in the
near future.
This is just some of what your training course must
consist of. For more information, contact Dave Bennett
at 315-437-2881 ext. 4146 with any questions or if you
would like to make an appointment with us to handle
your training concerns.
Thompson and Johnson Equipment Co. offers drivers training,
and we offer a Train-the Trainers course where your
company can develop one, two or more employees into
trainers so you can train as the need arises
|
