Towards OSHA Forklift Safety Compliance

There is a lot that you have to get right when working with forklift trucks especially when it comes to safety. Apart from the need to protect workers, equipment, and productivity, it is important to stay within OSHA safety guidelines. The first step to ensuring safety when working with forklifts is to make sure that all operators are certified. 

What is the Best Forklift Certification Training?

While you will find different ‘certification courses’ for forklift operators in the market, you must be able to separate what works from what doesn’t. You need to stay away from certification courses that are conducted entirely online as they don't count. You need to connect with a vendor that offers a significant part of their certification course as a classroom or on-site training. According to OSHA Guidelines, forklift operators must be trained and employers are expected to certify that such training has occurred along with the necessary evaluation. The burden of operator certification remains with the employer. The right training must encompass the following areas:

Formal Instruction -:  This part of certification training can be conducted online or in-class and comprises lecture, book, video, and software delivery of important background information. 

Practical Training -: This part of certification training cannot be conducted online. It comprises hands-on instruction, live demonstrations, and supervised practice sessions.

Evaluation -: This part can also not be conducted online. It features operator performance evaluation in the workplace. 

Importance of Forklift Certification Training

Forklift certification training for operators is important on many fronts.  The first is that it is a requirement of the law that you must abide by to avoid penalization of one form or the other. Apart from fulfilling the law, certification training goes hand-in-glove with safe and productive operations. In the absence of the relevant training for your forklift for sale or rent, the risk of accidents, injuries, and even loss of life is heightened. Your operations become vulnerable to downtimes, costly repairs, and even litigation under different laws and regulations.

Common Hazards Associated with Use of Forklifts

Forklifts are used in many different industries mostly to lift and haul heavy loads. The operator can either be riding on the truck or walking beside it depending on the type. Each type of forklift and nature of work present unique sets of accident risks that need to be managed. Most accidents happen in warehouses and at job sites that use sit-down counterbalanced high-lift trucks. Safety has to be observed in respect of operators, pedestrians, the forklift, and other equipment and materials. Other common accidents involving forklift trucks that result in physical harm to people include:

• Being inadvertently driven off docks
• Falling between unsecured trailers and docks
• People also get injured when they fall off elevated pallets or get struck by lift trucks. 

How to Avoid Accidents

Apart from certification training, there are many other measures that help reduce or eliminate the occurrence of accidents when working with forklift trucks. For starters, it is illegal, according to Federal law, for anyone under the age of 18 to operate a forklift truck. It is the responsibility of employers to make sure that operators are properly trained and certified according to the training and evaluation that is stipulated in by OSHA.

We Can Help!

When looking for forklift equipment rental services in Atlanta, Accurate Forklift is the place to look. We offer attractive rates on all types of forklift trucks as well as forklift service to make sure your forklift is up to OSHA standards. Talk to our team of experts today to discuss your requirements and get a customized deal. You can reach us at 770-692-1455 or send us an email at rentals@accurateforklift.net.