Lift Truck Training
For handling materials, there are many kinds of industries that make use of powered industrial trucks. In the recycling business, internal combustion powered forklifts are popular. Lift truck operation requires operators who are well trained. Within North America, training is a requirement, and for a very good reason. A forklift could cause serious damage to property or personal injury if not safely operated. A forklift that is loaded can weight three times as much as a motor vehicle. Lift trucks are accountable for a large percentage of industrial accidents, either as the primary or the secondary source of the accident. Reports of fatalities or injuries which involve operators or pedestrians are all too commonplace.
Training Requirement
A training program for operators must be developed and applied by employers. Furthermore, the program must be based on four factors: the kinds of vehicles being used in the workplace, the general principles of safe truck operation, the particular hazards of the workplace and the general safety requirements, according to OSHA. Training combines both practical and formal components. At the completion of the training, operators should pass an assessment showing they have the ability to operate the truck correctly. OSHA also requires that operators of powered industrial trucks should be trained in certain specified topics which apply to safely operating a lift truck.