One of the most commonly used pieces of equipment in your plant can also be among the most dangerous if not used properly. The problem is that forklifts are used so much that people sometimes ignore the dangers associated with them. If you have not reviewed your safety training in a while, you should read on to see what you might be missing.
While performing worksite safety inspections, I always like to find a good location, elevated if possible, to observe a production facility’s operation. Forklift operation is always one of my favorite focus points, as it is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Observations made will tell you a lot about a company’s commitment to safety, safety management and training. I like to see operators assuring a safety zone while operating forklifts; continually monitoring 360 degrees around the forklift, and using caution when backing, at blind corners, doorways and areas of high congestion.
The forklift operator is responsible for the safety of all personnel working around the forklift. It would be nice, if operators could rely on other workers to always use caution while in the vicinity of a forklift. Unfortunately, people become complacent when they perform the same tasks every day. This is why, I truly like to hear the operators using the forklift’s horn whenever backing, near blind corner, doorways, and in and around congestion of personnel. It certainly doesn’t hurt to be reminded of a hazard when we all have a multitude of things on our mind.
Accident Statistics
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), forklifts continue to be one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities; with an average of 100 worker deaths per year, and over 20,000 serious injuries related to forklifts in the Unites States alone.
OSHA reports as many as 35,000 serious accidents and 62,000 non-serious accidents involving forklifts in the United States each year.
OSHA also estimates that 11% of all forklifts are involved in some type of accident each year, and that approximately 90% of all forklifts will be involved in some type of an accident during the forklift’s operational lifespan. As a production company owner, manager, safety administrator or worker, that should be an eye opening statistic!
Statistics also show operator error, and or lack of required instruction is a common root cause of the accident.
According to OSHA, the leading causes of forklift fatalities are:
• Crushed by vehicle tipping over.
• Crushed between vehicle and a surface.
• Crushed between two vehicles.
• Struck or run over by a forklift.
• Struck by falling material.
• Fall from platform on the forks.
Those statistics were further verified when the National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) completed a 14 year surveillance of forklift accidents. The NTOF Surveillance System uses death certificates to identify work-related deaths. The study reviewed 1021 fatalities during that 14 year time period, and concluded percentages of the following root causes:
Type of Incident % of total victims
Forklift overturns 22
Worker on foot struck by forklift 20
Victim crushed by forklift 16
Fall from forklift 9
Training
OSHA has a lot of resources for employers in the subject of forklift safety. You can find resources at www.osha.gov/SLTC/poweredindustrialtrucks/standards.html.
There are many safety training materials available on the Internet. A lot of the materials are quality training tools when properly used. Do remember, it’s the responsibility of the employer to assure that the training has been provided for all employees, and the materials that you can buy online, are only training tools. Having an employee watch a video and take a written test is not enough to meet OSHA requirements. You need to make sure the employee understands the training and puts it into practice.
OSHA Standards require that all employers provide safety training to all employees relevant to their job tasks before their initial assignment. Employers are required as per OSHA Standard 1910.178 to provide forklift operator safety training.
OSHA Standard 1910.178(1) identifies training content requirements as follows:
The training must be provided by a qualified instructor. The instructor can be one of your staff members as long as that person is competent, has adequate knowledge of forklift operation, safety, training experience, and is able to evaluate the operators after the training has been provided. If you have any reservations about having a person qualified for the training, I recommend that you hire an outside professional instructor to provide the required training components.
Instructional Components
The forklift operation and safety training must include the following instruction components:
• Classroom instruction that could involve: lecture, discussion, interactive computer learning, video tape and/or written material.
• Written evaluation: testing the trainee’s knowledge of what they have been instructed.
• Practical evaluation: demonstrations performed by the trainer and practical exercises performed by the trainee.
Powered industrial truck operators shall receive initial training in the following components, except in topics which the employer can demonstrate are not applicable to safe operation of the truck in the employer’s workplace:
• Operating instructions, warnings, and precautions for the types of truck the operator will be authorized to operate.
• Differences between the truck and the automobile.
• Truck controls and instrumentation: where they are located, what they do, and how they work.
• Engine or motor operation.
• Steering and maneuvering.
• Visibility (including restrictions due to loading).
• Fork and attachment adaptation, operation, and use limitations.
• Vehicle capacity.
• Vehicle stability.
• Any vehicle inspection and maintenance that the operator will be required to perform.
• Refueling and/or charging and recharging of batteries.
• Operating limitations.
• Any other operating instructions, warnings, or precautions listed in the operator’s manual for the types of vehicle that the employee is being trained to operate.
• Surface conditions where the vehicle will be operated.
• Composition of loads to be carried and load stability.
• Load manipulation, stacking, and unstacking.
• Pedestrian traffic in areas where the vehicle will be operated.
• Narrow aisles and other restricted places where the vehicle will be operated.
• Hazardous (classified) locations where the vehicle will be operated.
• Ramps and other sloped surfaces that could affect the vehicle’s stability.
• Closed environments and other areas where insufficient ventilation or poor vehicle maintenance could cause a buildup of carbon monoxide or diesel exhaust.
• Other unique or potentially hazardous environmental conditions in the workplace that could affect safe operation.
Along with written instructional materials, it is also important to have the manufacturer’s operating manual available for operator review.
OSHA does not require forklift operators to carry a certification card, but you must be able to certify, or have proof of the above mentioned training upon request. Therefore, you need to retain a copy of the training materials, the completed written test, and the evaluation. The documentation needs to include the operators name, the date of the training, the type of forklift used for instruction, and the name of the person or persons that provided the training.
Forklift operation and safety training must be provided at the initial hire, and at least every three years thereafter. Refresher training is required if: the operator is involved in an accident or a near-miss incident; the operator has been observed operating the vehicle in an unsafe manner; the operator has been determined during an evaluation to need additional training; there are changes in the workplace that could affect safe operation of the truck; or the operator is assigned to operate a different type of truck.
Pre-Shift Inspection Requirements
Each forklift must be inspected prior to each operating shift. If you only have one shift, the inspections need only to be carried out once per day. If you have multiple shifts, the inspections need to be carried out prior to each shift. For those forklifts that are not operated during every shift, they don’t require inspection during those shifts they will not be operated, but if those forklifts are operated, they must have been inspected prior to operation.
Inspection Components
The inspection is simple, but its importance cannot be understated. In other words, I would not allow the inspector to simply fill out the paperwork. The inspections must be completed fully, with each component of the inspection visually and physically inspected, prior to checking it off. Drawing a line through the checklist is unacceptable!
You can make a spreadsheet that covers all the components required elements of the pre-shift inspection. The inspection form can be made with a spreadsheet, or you may choose to purchase a forklift inspection form. Each inspection sheet must be applicable to the type of forklift being inspected.
The inspection form information needs to include the following specific elements for the forklift being inspected:
• Forklift model and number.
• Dates and times of inspection.
• Inspectors name or initials.
• Forklift hours.
A good sample forklift pre-shift inspection checklist can be found on this page. This may not be adequate for every forklift. Check the manual and possibly consult a safety consultant to develop a program that works for every different type of forklift that you may have use.
Before operation each forklift must pass the inspection, and if for any reason it does not, and is found unsafe, the forklift must being taken out-of-service. The forklift must remain out-of-service until it has been properly repaired by a qualified person using parts equivalent to the original manufacturer’s parts.
Employers need to have a written forklift operation and safety training program to identify their policies and procures and explain the importance of proper documentation. You can find examples of written programs on the OSHA website. There is a lot of documentation required when it comes to forklifts, but as I always say, “When it comes to safety training, document, document, document.”
Forklift Pre-Shift Inspection Checklist
The following is an example of the checklist form components of a pre-shift inspection:
Batteries charged & meet manufacture’s specifications
Battery & terminals secure & clean
Engine oil & coolant levels full & free of leaks
Transmission operational, level full, & free of leaks
Belts & hoses inspected for cracks & leaks
Hydraulic controls operating, level full & free of leaks
Fuel system full & free of leaks
Brakes operational, park brake holds & fluid full
Forklift free of rattles, damage & loose parts
Steering wheel checked & free of excessive play
Wheels & tires free of damage & lugs tight
Data plate clean & legible
Lights, gauges, horn, & signals operational
Forks & masts free of damage
Mast chains lubed, undamaged & tension equal
Glass & mirrors clean
Fire extinguisher charged & inspected
Inspector: __________________ Date: ________ Time: ________
Forklift ID: ________ Notes: ______________________________
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