Maneuvering Forklift Safety

Forklift accidents continue to occur with alarming regularity. Yet, in many manufacturing worksites, forklift trucks are an indispensable piece of material handling equipment. Their versatility enables workers to do a variety of tasks like lifting, moving, stacking, and loading materials. However, if the forklift operator is not certified, cautious, and alert, the operator, the forklift, the load, pedestrians or structures could be harmed or damaged.

Forklifts are as tricky as they are useful. They can be dangerous, if they’re not operated by certified workers who are familiar with the equipment and know the rules of safety. Driving a forklift truck is different from driving most other vehicles. To drive a forklift safely, operators have to understand the risks and know what to do to avoid accidents. The greatest danger of forklift handling is that it might tip over; collide with a person, vehicle or other equipment; fall off a landing; or drop a load.

In California, employers who use forklifts and other industrial trucks at their worksite, (except certain agricultural operations), must provide training for their industrial truck operators before they may operate the trucks independently. The employer must develop the training program or hire an outside consultant who has the knowledge, training, and experience to train powered industrial truck operators and to evaluate their competence. Training must be based on the trainee’s prior knowledge and skill, types of powered industrial trucks used in the workplace, specific hazards in the workplace, and the trainee’s demonstrated ability to operate a powered industrial truck safely.

The training must include a combination of formal instruction (lectures, videos, etc.) and practical demonstrations by the trainee in vehicle operation including warnings and precautions; inspections and maintenance; and other unique or hazardous workplace conditions that could affect safe forklift operation. An evaluation of the operator’s performance in the workplace must also be done. A trainee may only operate the powered industrial truck under the direct supervision of persons who have knowledge, training, and experience to train operators and evaluate their competence.

Forklift training is so important that once is not enough. Employers must make an initial performance evaluation of their industrial truck operators, with periodic evaluations (at least once every three years) to ensure that their skills remain at a high level. And, whenever there is a demonstrated need for it, refresher training must be conducted.