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Powered industrial trucks (PIT’s) commonly known as forklifts, pallet trucks, rider trucks, fork trucks or lift trucks are found and used in many industries and workplace operations. Powered by electric or internal combustion engines, there are seven different classifications of these very specialized vehicles commonly used to carry, push, pull, lift or stack materials of various sizes, shapes and weights. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there are about 1 million forklifts used by 1.5 million workers. Approximately 95,000 people are injured, and 100 are killed annually while operating these useful but sometimes hazardous vehicles. According to OSHA, most of the injuries, accidents and property damage can be attributed to three main causes:

•  Failure to follow safe operating procedures,
•  Lack of safety rule enforcement, and
•  Insufficient or inadequate training.

On a positive note, these accident causations can be controlled and corrected with foresight and effective supervision.

Training & Evaluation

According to OSHA standard Code 29 CFR 1910.178, “Only trained and authorized operators shall be permitted to operate a powered industrial truck.” As a result, OSHA requires that each PIT operator to be over 18 years of age and be competent to operate these vehicles safely as demonstrated by the successful completion of training and evaluation. Training programs can be administered by the employer or through a third party acting on behalf of the employer. Training must be conducted by a person with the knowledge, training and experience to train PIT operators and evaluate their competence. Effective training must consist of a combination of: Formal instruction (e.g., lecture, discussion, interactive computer learning, video, written material), Practical training (trainer demonstrations and practical trainee exercises), and Evaluation of the operator’s performance in

the workplace.

Training program content must consist of:

• PIT related topics (e.g., operating instructions, warnings and precautions, controls and instrumentation, motor/engine operation, steering and maneuvering, visibility, vehicle attachments, vehicle capacity and stability, inspection and maintenance, refueling/ charging, etc.)
• Workplace-related topics (e.g., driving surface conditions, stability of the load, load stacking and unstacking, pedestrian traffic, aisles and restricted areas, operating in hazardous
• locations, operation on ramps and sloped surfaces, potentially hazardous environmental conditions, operating in closed or poorly ventilated areas, etc.)
• Requirements of the applicable OSHA standard

Although there is no mandatory annual refresher training requirement, employers are required to certify that each PIT operator has

received initial training and must re-evaluate each operator at least once every three (3) years. Furthermore, refresher training in relevant topics is needed whenever:

•  An operator demonstrates a deficiency in the safe operation of the vehicle,
•  Workplace conditions change in a way that could affect safe operation,
•  An operator is involved in an accident or near-miss,
•  An evaluation indicates need,
•  An operator is assigned to a different kind of PIT

Employer certification and evaluation of each operator must include the name of the operator, the date of training, the date of evaluation and the identity of person(s) performing the training or evaluation.

Documentation must also be maintained in the operator’s personnel file. Failure to certify any employee operating a PIT can result in costly OSHA fines and other penalties.

Operator Qualifications

Federal OSHA’s Powered Industrial Truck standard has no requirement that the operator possess a valid, state issued driver’s license. The employer must however, have a record documenting that the driver has successfully completed PIT training. This would be the only operating “license” required by OSHA.  Also, even though there is no vision/hearing test requirement addressed in the standard, OSHA could still cite under the General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1) if an employer was aware of a physical impairment and still allowed an employee to operate a PIT.