Friday, September 9, 2011

Forklift Safety and OSHA

By James Daniel


Forklift certification is something that falls under OSHA, (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) guidelines for PIT's (Powered Industrial Trucks). Congress created OSHA as a United States Department of Labor agency to ensure safer working conditions in the United States.

OSHA helps worker stay safe of the job by setting work environment standards the enforcing these standards. OSHA also provides training and education to companies in an effort to assist then with the rigid compliance standards. Companies that use forklifts and other powered industrial trucks (PIT's) in their day to day operations can benefit from OSHA's assistance.

OSHA helps industry safety by setting federal standards all companies must meet. Many states also set and implement their own standards based on the federal guidelines set forth by OSHA. Federal standards in place for industries that use forklifts and PIT's include general industries, marine terminals and the longshoring industry.

There is another organization that is responsible for investigating forklift-related deaths called the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH for short). NIOSH has found that management and forklift operators at many companies have not been aware of all the inherent risks of operating or working near forklifts and accidents have resulted. Adapting and enforcing OSHA guidelines and forklift manufacturer guidelines can reduce these accidents.

It is federal law in the U.S. to follow OSHA guidelines and properly train and certify all forklift operators, It is also state law in many areas. Businesses that give these laws the attention they deserve can save money. More importantly they can save lives.

If you work at a business that does not have an OSHA approved forklift education and certification program in place, management should be made aware of this situation. Also, if you are a looking to be employed as a forklift driver, you can help your chances of finding a high-paying job in your area by first getting certified and licensed first.

There are many local forklift training options for getting properly trained, certified and licensed, as well as many online forklift certification sites. Costs range from about fifty dollars to a few hundred dollars. Your best bet is to shop around not only for price, but for the best training you can find.




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