Safe forklift speeds

If there was a forklift fatality at a workplace and the vehicle was traveling at 10 mph instead of the designated 8 mph, who would be responsible?

“Regulating the speed of an industrial truck is an important part of the environmental design of the workplace,” according to the American Society of Safety Engineers. Yet OSHA “does not have specific speed limits set for the safe operation of a powered industrial truck,” it said in answer to a query.

Forklift speed should be considered because of the destructive power of a fast moving forklift. A 5,000-pound forklift moving through a warehouse at 10 mph with a 4,000 pound load has a potential destructive force of 135,000 pounds of energy, according to the ASSE. Also, a forklift truck moving at 10 mph may take 40 feet to stop.

In response to these figures, the ASSE says the maximum speeds allowable for a forklift truck with no pedestrians present is 8 mph and 3 mph in areas where pedestrians are present.

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about forklift training

* Must employees be trained?
Yes, all employees operating a forklift must be trained. The training consists of three elements: formal, practical and a visual evaluation of the operator’s skill.

* Does an employer have to hire a professional trainer?
No, anyone with forklift knowledge and the ability to evaluate forklift operators can conduct the training.

* Can employers develop their own training program?
Yes, as long as they cover the required topics and evaluate the operators properly.

* Do employees have to be evaluated after training?
Yes, they must be evaluated after initial training and every three years after that to insure they maintain their skills.

* Does the training have to be documented?
Yes, the employer must keep a record of the names of the operators, dates of training and evaluation and the name of their evaluators.

* Does training from a previous employer count?
Yes and no. The training can meet the general requirement but the new employer must provide site-specific hands on training for the forklift the employees will use and must evaluate the employees on it.

* Is a license or certification required to operate a forklift?
No, the requirement is that operators receive complete training.

Krispy Kreme fined for forklift violation

The Canadian subsidiary of Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corp. has been fined $90,000 for an OSHA violation that resulted in a serious leg injury to a new employee.

KremeKo Inc., whose parent company is Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Krispy Kreme, pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that a lifting device was operated only by a competent person, as prescribed by Section 51(2)(a) of the Regulations for Industrial Establishments.

On Aug. 13, 2004, a truck driver at KremeKo's Mississauga, Ontario, industrial facility was on a small ramp using a lift truck to move some large flowerpots when the driver lost control of the lift truck. The driver's left leg became pinned between the lift truck and some metal bakery racks, resulting in a broken leg bone.

An investigation found the driver had never operated a lift truck before and had not received the company's formal lift truck training.

A justice of the Ontario Court of Justice imposed the fine, along with a 25 percent victim fine surcharge.

Tip overs

What should forklift operators do if the lift truck starts to tip over? Should they stay in the vehicle, or jump out quickly?

If you said “Jump out,” you’d be wrong. If operators do that, they put their lives in danger. The safest way to survive a tip over is to stay in the vehicle, seat belt fastened, with a tight grip on the steering wheel and feet braced against the floor, leaning forward and away from the direction of the tip over.

Staying in the forklift during a tip over keeps the operator from being pinned by the mast or forklift structure. Wearing a seat belt keeps the head and torso with the confines of the truck and reduces the risk of the head and torso being trapped between the lift guard and the ground.

Tip overs are the second leading cause of forklift-related deaths. Proper training helps operators avoid them or deal with the properly if they occur.

The controversy over forklift alarms

Should you or shouldn’t you install alarms on your forklifts? While alarms can reduce pedestrian fatalities and injuries, they are ineffective in certain situations -- when the ambient sound level is too great or the physical dimension of the worksite too small.

OSHA recommends but doesn’t require the use of alarms and manufacturers oppose them for a variety of reasons:

* excessive noise to the operator results in annoyance, fatigue and long term hearing loss
* pedestrians become habituated to the alarm and ignore it
* operators depend on the alarms to clear the path, without looking ahead
* multiple alarms from more than one lift truck cause confusion

The use of alarms remains optional, although forklifts with enclosed cabs need them because the cab obstructs vision, and if an alarm is supplied by the manufacturer it cannot be altered or removed.

Forklift rodeos

Want to promote forklift safety? Hold a rodeo.

The Industrial Managers Association of Lincoln County, NC sponsored one recently, with drivers competing on an obstacle course in events that emphasized safety, driving ability and accuracy.

The event in Lincoln County was one of many forklift rodeos that are held around the country. The events “provide an excellent opportunity for industrial managers to emphasize and promote the importance of forklift safety in the workplace,” John Dancoff, IMA’s chairman said. “It’s also an interesting way to boost employee morale and create excitement for forklift training.”

The sponsor of another forklift rodeo agrees that the events generate interest in proper driving but warned that “only the most experienced drivers should compete in the events.”

Protecting pedestrians

During a recent 15 year period, 20% of the fatalities from forklift accidents were pedestrians. The accidents occur when pedestrians are struck by a moving truck, hit by a falling load, trapped by a moving part of the truck or slip, trip or fall trying to avoid a truck.

Preventing pedestrian accidents can be accomplished through driver training and creating a safer work environment.

Since forklift drivers are “required to look in the direction of, and keep a clear view of the path of travel,” according to OSHA Standard 1910.178, they should be aware of pedestrians. Drivers should look around cab supports and load engaging apparatus and inspect all areas in front and behind the machine for pedestrians before putting the machine in motion. They must drive at safe speeds because even a slow moving forklift can crush a bystander. They should use alarms to make pedestrians aware of their location.

The forklift work environment must be designed to separate forklifts and pedestrians.
Areas can be closed off to pedestrian or forklift traffic. Safe routes and walkways can be created. Pedestrians who frequently work in forklift areas should wear high visibility vests. In-plant mirrors can be used to add vision to blind intersections for drivers and pedestrians. Warning signs should be erected.

How to operate a forklift

According to OSHA regulations, “Only trained and authorized operators shall be permitted to operate a powered industrial truck." Once individuals are trained and authorized, they should follow these guidelines for the safe operation of a forklift:

* Never exceed the recommended load limit of the forklift.
* Know how to assess the weight of the load to be lifted.
* Check for adequate overhead clearance before raising the load.
* Operate a forklift smoothly when stopping, starting, lifting and tilting.
* Know the blind spots of the lift truck with and without a load.
* Keep pedestrians away from a forklift in operation.
* Stop when anyone crosses the route being traveled.
* Operate only as fast as conditions safely permit.
* Wear leather gloves and safety boots.
* Keep hands, arms, feet and legs inside the confines of the forklift.
* Stay in the truck in case of overturns.

Forklift Accidents

Every year, 100 workers are killed and 20,000 seriously injured in forklift accidents in the U.S.

* 26% of the accidents are caused by lifts tipping over.
* 14% of the accidents are caused by loads falling on workers.
* 18% of the accidents are caused when a walking employee is struck by a lift.
* 14% of the accidents are caused when a lift is used inappropriately to elevate workers.
* 3% of the accidents are caused when operators lose control of the vehicles.

Lack of training or improper training is a main factor contributing to forklift accidents. Forklift operators must be trained to understand the controls and instrumentation; to pre-inspect the vehicle before use; and to understand forklift stability and the factors that affect it. A thorough knowledge of forklifts and their operation is required for the safe operation of a forklift by certified drivers.

Lessons learned

On March 6, 1995, a loading dock worker for a gypsum company in Iowa was killed when a forklift suddenly lurched forward pinning him against a flatbed truck. The accident occurred because the forklift driver neglected to set the manual parking or service brake when he left the forklift to help the victim, so the forklift lurched forward when he returned to it, crushing the victim.

The company changed its loading procedures in response to the accident, with loading now a one-man operation with drivers prohibited from allowing forklifts to idle perpendicular to a truck edge where workers may be present adjusting a load.

In addition, the company expanded its forklift training, with drivers taught to follow safe procedures when dismounting and leaving a forklift unattended when other workers are in close proximity. Drivers are also trained to park or idle a forklift a safe distance from stationery objects and allow sufficient time for someone to escape in case of machine malfunction or operator error.

According to OSHA, forklift accidents cause 100 deaths and 95,000 injuries in the U.S. each year. Lessons learned from them prompt safety improvements that protect workers from future fatalities.

OSHA enforces forklift safety standards


Shelter Enterprises, a Cohoes, NY insulation manufacturer, was recently fined more than $134,000 by OSHA after forklift accidents revealed the company hadn’t properly trained employees.

OSHA began its inspection last year after three employees were injured in a scaffolding accident. The inspection found the employees hadn’t received forklift training. Other alleged violations included using an improper platform on the forks of a forklift; modifying a forklift without the manufacturer’s approval; allowing employees’ arms and legs to extend outside the running lines of the forklift; and unstable loads on the forklift.

“The significant penalty demonstrates our commitment to protecting the health and safety of America’s workers,” an OSHA spokesman said.

Make sure you provide complete forklift training for your employees!

Forklift safety training needed for Spanish speaking employees


A recent forklift fatality in Bluffton, SC emphasizes the importance of providing forklift safety training for workers in their native languages.

The victim, a Mexican construction worker for Southern Palmetto Landscapes, fell from a tree and was run over by a forklift.

The incident prompted the SC Labor Department to issue a statement urging employers to provide Spanish language training for their employees. OSHA regulations require employers to “establish a written [safety] program, in the language and literacy level of workers,” but not all employers do it.

As a result of the language barrier and cultural differences, workplace injuries among the Hispanic population has become a nationwide problem, according to federal officials. More than 14% of workplace fatalities in 2003 were Hispanic workers, according to OSHA, higher than African Americans and Asians combined.

“Not only do they not know the OSHA regulations, many don’t know their employers are responsible for their safety,” one observer said.

Hispanics are the largest minority in the U.S. and many don’t speak English, so employers should provide safety training for them in Spanish to prevent fatalities.

Forklift driver certification


All forklift drivers must be certified in compliance with the OSHA regulation that was passed in 1998 (1910.178). Employers must complete and maintain certification of the driver’s training record, containing the name of the driver, the date of the training and the date of the evaluation and name of the trainer.

Once trained, the driver should be familiar with the following topics:

* Operating instructions, warnings and precautions for the types of trucks the driver will use
* Truck controls and instrumentation
* Engine or motor operation
* Steering and maneuvering
* Visibility (including restrictions due to loading)
* Fork and attachment operation
* Vehicle capacity
* Vehicle inspections, maintenance, refueling and charging of batteries
* Surface conditions where vehicle will be operated
* Composition of loads to be carried
* Pedestrian traffic
* Environmental considerations that could result in buildup of hazardous fumes or exhaust