Lift Truck Training
For handling materials, there are many types of industries which use powered industrial trucks. In the recycling industry, internal combustion powered forklifts are generally utilized. Lift truck operation requires operators who are well trained. Training is a requirement within North America, and for a really good reason. A forklift could cause personal injury or serious property damage if not used safely. A loaded forklift can weight three times as much as a car. Lift trucks are responsible for a large percentage of industrial accidents, either as the primary or the secondary source of the accident. Reports of injuries or fatalities that involve operators or pedestrians are all too commonplace.
Training Requirement
Employers must develop and apply a training program for operators based on four factors: the types of vehicles being used in the workplace, the general principles of safe truck operation, the general safety requirements, according to OSHA and the particular hazards of the workplace. Training combines both practical and formal parts. At the training's completion, operators should pass an assessment showing they have the ability to properly operate a truck. OSHA also requires that powered industrial truck operators must be trained in certain specific subject matters which is applicable to operating a lift truck safely.