September 1, 2003—The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a newly revised safety and health topics page on Powered Industrial Trucks, or forklifts.
According to OSHA, forklift operations are a greatly under-recognized hazard, with tens of thousands of forklift-related injuries occurring in US workplaces each year. OSHA says forklift accidents cause more than 90 deaths and 90,000 accidents in the US each year.
Many employees are injured when lift trucks are inadvertently driven off loading docks or lifts fall between docks and an unsecured trailer. Employees are also struck by a lift truck or fall while on elevated pallets and tines. Most incidents also involve property damage, including damage to overhead sprinklers, racking, pipes, walls, and machinery. Unfortunately, most employee injuries and property damage can be attributed to lack of safe operating procedures, lack of safety-rule enforcement, and insufficient or inadequate training.
This new page includes commonly asked questions that provide links to useful safety and health information about powered industrial trucks, such as:
- What OSHA requirements apply? (Specific Requirements, Loading and Unloading, Working with Hazardous Materials, Vehicle Maintenance, and Frequently Cited OSHA Standards)
- What other industry standards apply to powered industrial trucks? (ASME, NFPA, UL, and ISO)
- What other federal agency standards apply? (DOT, EPA, NRC)
- Where do I find additional assistance? (Cooperative Programs, VPP Sites, Outreach Materials, and Trade Associations)
