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 Askthesafetyman's forklift training package allows employers to take advantage of deep pricing discounts for OSHA required employee forklift / lift truck training. Why pay full price, up to $180 or more per person, to train / re-train your employees? It doesn’t make sense to our customers and certainly doesn’t make sense to us!
Askthesafetyman's forklift / lift truck training package includes instruction in the following components of safe forklift / lift truck operation and more. The design of the training menu allows instructors the flexibility to either start at the begining and progress through all of the material or to select a specific topic to discuss and review without the hassle of searching through video and DVD footage for the desired topics:
Pre-Operation and Operation Inspections;
Mounting and Dismounting;
Starting / Stopping;
Operating at Speed;
Steering, Turning and Changing Direction;
Traveling on Inclines;
Parking;
Safe Travel Practices;
Visibility;
Tip over;
Working with Batteries;
Safe Handling Preparation;
Physical Characteristics of Forklifts;
Approaching;
Mast Position;
Fork Position;
Lifting the Load;
Lowering the Load;
High Tiering;
Truck Trailers and Railroad Cars;
Physical Conditions;
Pedestrian Traffic;
Ramps and Grades;
Loading Docks;
Narrow Aisles;
Elevators;
Enclosed and Hazardous Areas;
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Pre-Operation and Operation
Inspections;
Mounting and Dismounting;
Starting / Stopping;
Operating at Speed;
Steering, Turning and Changing
Direction;
Traveling on Inclines;
Parking;
Safe Travel Practices;
Visibility;
Tip over;
Working with Batteries;
Safe Handling Preparation;
Physical Characteristics of
Forklifts;
Approaching;
Mast Position;
Fork Position;
Lifting the Load;
Lowering the Load;
High Tiering;
Truck Trailers and Railroad
Cars;
Physical Conditions;
Pedestrian Traffic;
Ramps and Grades;
Loading Docks;
Narrow Aisles;
Elevators;
Enclosed and Hazardous Areas;
OSHA's powered industrial truck operator training requirements apply to all industries where forklifts, lift trucks, powered industrial trucks, etc. are being used, except agricultural operations.
1. What is the definition of a powered industrial truck?
Any mobile power-propelled truck used to carry, push, pull, lift, stack or tier materials. Powered industrial trucks can be ridden or controlled by a walking operator. Earth moving and over the road haulage trucks are not included in the definition. Equipment that was designed to move earth but has been modified to accept forks are also not included.
2. What does the standard require?
The standard requires employers to develop and implement a training program based on the general principles of safe truck operation, the types of vehicle(s) being used in the workplace, the hazards of the workplace created by the use of the vehicle(s), and the general safety requirements of the OSHA standard. Trained operators must know how to do the job properly and do it safely as demonstrated by workplace evaluation.
Formal (lecture, video, etc.) and practical (demonstration and practical exercises) training must be provided. Employers must also certify that each operator has received the training and evaluate each operator at least once every three years. Prior to operating the truck in the workplace, the employer must evaluate the operator’s performance and determine the operator to be competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely. Refresher training is needed whenever an operator demonstrates a deficiency in the safe operation of the truck.
3. Does OSHA provide a list of topics to include in my training program?
Yes. The standard provides a list of training topics; however, the employer may exclude those topics which are not relevant to safe operation at the employee’s work location.
4. Who should conduct the training?
All training and evaluation must be conducted by persons with the necessary knowledge, training, and experience to train powered industrial truck operators and evaluate their competence. An example of a qualified trainer would be a person who, by possession of a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training, and experience has demonstrated the ability to train and evaluate powered industrial truck operators.
There are many resources available to the employer if he/she chooses not to perform the training himself. Truck manufacturers, local safety and health safety organizations, such as the National Safety Council local chapters, private consultants with expertise in powered industrial trucks, local trade and vocational schools are some available resources.Various Internet sites are devoted to forklift safety.
Private companies who provide forklift safety training services, including videos and written programs, can be located on various Internet websites. Most videos can be either leased or purchased. One important thing to remember is that simply by showing employees a video or videos on some aspect of forklift safety does not meet the full requirements of the OSHA standard. Site specific information must be conveyed as well as a method to evaluate the employee’s acquired knowledge subsequent to the training.
5. If my employees receive training from an outside consultant, how will I know that these employees have been adequately trained?
Outside qualified training organizations can provide evidence that the employee has successfully completed the relevant classroom and practical training. However, each employer must ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is competent to operate a truck safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation.
6. My employees receive training from the union on the use of powered industrial trucks. Will I have to provide any additional training?
When an employee reports to work, the employer must evaluate the employee to ensure that he/she is knowledgeable about the operation of the powered industrial trucks he/she will be assigned to operate. This evaluation could be as simple as having a person with the requisite skills, knowledge and experience observe the operator performing several typical operations to ensure that the truck is being operated safely and asking the operator a few questions related to the safe operation of the vehicle. If the operator has operated the same type of equipment before in the same type of environment that he/she will be expected to be working, then duplicative or additional training is not required.
7. Is testing required?
No. The standard does not specifically require testing; however, some method of evaluation is required. Every employer should provide both written and skills testing which is documented and placed in the employees file. Otherwise, how will you demonstrate to OSHA that the employee understood the material and possessed the skills necessary to operate the equipment safely?
8. Does OSHA require the employer to issue licenses to employees who have received training?
No. The OSHA standard does not require employees to receive or be issued licenses. An employer may choose to issue licenses to trained operators or not. Issuing licenses provides operators with a sense of accomplishment and helps supervisors and managers to identify employees who have received appropriate training for the equipment they are operating.
9. What type of records or documentation must I keep?
The OSHA standard requires that the employer certify that each operator has received the training and has been evaluated. The written certification record must include the name of the operator, the date of the training, the date of the evaluation, and the identify of the person(s) performing the training and / or evaluation.
10. How long must I keep the certification records?
Employers who evaluate the operator’s performance more frequently than every three years may retain the most recent certification record; otherwise, certification records must be maintained for three years.
11. If my employees receive training, but accidents still continue to occur, what should I do?
Refresher training in relevant topics is necessary when the operator has been involved in an accident or near-miss incident. However, leads, supervisors and managers must continuously watch and monitor operator performance. Typically, these members of your leadership team see operators who are not operating safely on a daily basis and they do not bother to immediately address the performance issue. Your leadership team must be trained to immediately address operator deficiencies when they are observed.
The employee should receive, at a minimum, a documented verbal conversation addressing the concern. It is extremely important to document, when observed, unsafe acts and to follow-up with coaching, refresher training and / or disciplinary action. Maintaining tight documentation and training / re-training is vital, especially if it becomes necessary to separate a marginal employee from continued employment or to defend against OSHA and / or civil action resulting from a serious accident or death.
12. Is annual training required?
No. An evaluation of each powered industrial truck operator’s knowledge and performance is required to be conducted after training. There are requirements for refresher training, based on poor performance, changes in the work environment, new equipment, etc. OSHA requires that an employees knowledge and performance skills be re-evaluated every three years. The code does not specify re-training is required, however, it requires the employees knowledge and skills be evaluated.
Most employers chose to perform the classroom training again and then observe the operator's performance after the class. All training records are completed and maintained for future reference if needed. This helps ensure that operators performance knowledge is maintained and a visual verification helps to ensure proper / safe performance. The goal is to ensure that operators are not developing poor driving / operation habbits that could risk their safety and the safety of other employees and the facility.
13. How often must refresher training be given?
The standard does not require any specific frequency of refresher training. Refresher training must be provided when:
1. The operator has been observed to operate the vehicle in an unsafe manner;
2. The operator has been involved in an accident or near-miss incident;
3. The operator has received an evaluation that reveals that the operator is not operating the truck safely;
4. The operator is assigned to drive a different type of truck;
5. A condition in the workplace changes in a manner that could affect safe operation of the truck
14. Does OSHA provide training for my truck operators?
No. It is the employer’s responsibility to properly train their employees on all equipment they will be expected to operate.
15. Do I have to train all employees in my workplace?
Any employee that operates a powered industrial truck must be trained prior to operation. It is strongly advised that employers also provide pedestrian safety training to all employees who work around powered industrial equipment. Most employees do not realize the visibility limitations, load handling characteristics and effects of starting and stopping on loads.
16. Do I have to ensure that my operator’s are physically capable of driving a powered industrial truck?
The new standard does not contain provisions for checking vision, hearing or general medical status of employees operating powered industrial trucks. The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) addresses the issue of whether employers may impose physical qualifications upon employees or applicants for employment. The ADA permits employers to adopt medical qualification requirements which are necessary to assure that an individual does not pose a “direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals in the workplace” provided all reasonable efforts are made to accommodate otherwise qualified individuals.
17. I have three different types of trucks in my workplace. Can I provide training on just one type of truck?
If an operator will be expected to operate all three types of vehicles, then training must address the unique characteristics of each type of vehicle the employee is expected to operate. When an attachment is used on the truck to move odd-shaped materials, then the operator training must include instruction on the safe conduct of those operations so that the operator knows and understands the restrictions or limitations created by each vehicle’s use.
18. I only have powered hand trucks in my workplace. Do the training requirements cover the operators of this type of vehicle? The operator walks alongside the unit while holding onto the handle to guide it.
Yes. The use of powered hand trucks present numerous hazards to employees who operate them and those working in the area where they are used.
19. I employ drivers from a temporary agency. Who provides them training - the temporary service or me?
OSHA has issued several letters of interpretations on the subject of forklift and lift truck training of temporary employees. Basically, there is a shared responsibility for assuring employees are adequately trained. The responsibility for providing training should be spelled out in the contractual agreement between the two parties.
The temporary agency or the contracting employer may conduct the training and evaluation of operators from a temporary agency as required by the standard; however, the host employer (or other employer who enters into a contract with the temporary agency) must provide site-specific information and training on the use of the particular types of trucks and workplace-related topics that are present in the workplace.
20. Should my training include the use of operator restraint devices (e.g. seat belts)?
Employers are required to train employees in all operating instructions, warnings, and precautions listed in the operator’s manual for the type of vehicle which the employee is being trained to operate. Therefore, operators must be trained in the use of operator restraint systems when it is addressed in the operating instructions.
21. What does OSHA expect to achieve as a result of improved operator’s training?
OSHA’s goal is to reduce the number of injuries and illnesses that occur to workers in the workplace from unsafe powered industrial truck usage. By providing an effective training program many other benefits will result. Among these are the lower cost of compensation insurance, less property damage, and less product damage.
22. Where can I get additional information about OSHA standards?
For more information, contact your local or Regional OSHA office (listed in the telephone directory under United States Government - Department of Labor - Occupational Safety and Health Administration). OSHA also has a Home Page on the Internet. The address is: http://www.osha.gov/
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Summary
What Does OSHA Require?
 OSHA states that training shall consist of a combination of formal instruction, such as classroom based lectures, discussions, interactive computer learning, videos and / or written material. OSHA also requires practical training, such as an operator observing operation performed by the trainer and practical exercises performed by the trainee. Finally, OSHA requires evaluation of the operator's performance in the workplace, such as the employer observing the new operators performance for a period of time to verify that the equipment is being operated properly and safely.
What is Formal Instruction?
Formal instruction is classroom / lecture and/or online training. Participants are instructed in the technical aspects of safe / proper forklift / lift truck operation prior to participating in hands-on training. Operator training classes generally run 3 to 4 hours in length dependent on the number of participants, their ability to comprehend the information presented and the number of questions asked. However, when delivered at a participant level training-on-demand system, (i.e. employers utilize the flash based training on demand capability to allow trainees to complete the training as a PC based training program, completed at their own pace), participants will generally complete the training in approximately four (4) hours.
What Should Classroom Instruction Include?
Classroom sessions should include operator's safety manuals, a powerpoint presentation and educational video(s). Session training topics should include: Lift truck basics, pre-operation inspection, load handling, stability, fueling procedures and battery changing and charging.
What is Hands-on Training?
We highly recommend that hands-on training be conducted at the employer’s location. Why? The employee must be trained on the proper / safe operation of the equipment that he or she will be operating, not something close. Slight variations in control surfaces, locations, operation and or handling characteristics are the driving reasons behind this requirement.
What is Practical Evaluation?
Practical forklift / lift truck evaluation must be done at the employee's worksite to measure the new operators skills and knowledge of safe / proper operation. Practical evaluations may be performed by a contracted trainer or by a knowledgeable / experienced operator employed by the employer.
What is Certification?
By successfully completing a properly designed and delivered OSHA required forklift / lift truck training and certification program, employers can rest easier knowing that their employees' have received the required skills training and practical operation training for equipment operated in their facility. Employers are obligated to conduct ongoing evaluations of the newly certified employees performance to ensure they are operating the equipment properly and most importantly, safely. Employers are also required to immediately address and follow-up on all observed and reported instances of unsafe equipment operation. Thorough, well documented incidents and follow-up training and / or disciplinary action taken must be immediately completed and inserted in the employees personnel file.
How Frequently do Forklift Operators Have to be Recertified?
OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.178 forklift code specifies conditions under which operators must be re-certified, if they meet any of the re-training guidelines listed below. This means they must repeat the formal classroom / lecture / online training and the hands-on training and evaluation again. The code does not specify that operators must be retrained every three years. This is a common and completely understandable misinterpretation of the code.
OSHA requires that each operator's knowledge and performance skills be re-evaluated every three years. That is where the confusion comes from. What constitutes a re-evaluation of the employees knowledge and skills? Most employers have chosen to put there operator's through the classroom / lecture / formal instruction portion of the training and then observe the operator's performance after that since hands-on training should not be necessary, unless the operator does not frequently operate the equipment and therefor may require some refresher training. Of course, empoyers could simply have the operator take the written test again and observe performance to verify knowledge and skills and still meet the requirements of the OSHA code:
· The operator has been observed to operate the vehicle in an unsafe manner;
· The operator has been involved in an accident or near-miss incident;
· The operator has received an evaluation that reveals that the operator is not operating the truck safely or correctly;
· The operator is assigned to drive a different type of truck than they were originally certified to operate;
· A condition in the workplace changes in a manner that could affect safe operation of the truck
Any employee found to meet one or more of the guidelines above must receive immediate refresher training.
Askthesafetyman.com provides all training and documentation necessary to ensure OSHA compliance.
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