OSHA issues forklift operator training regulations
Employers will have to train and evaluate the performance of all their operators of powered industrial trucks.
By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 1/1/1999
WASHINGTON, D.C.-A decade-long effort aimed at increased forklift safety concluded early last month, and a new era of far tougher federal enforcement of safe practices begins soon for operators of powered industrial trucks in the U.S. and their employers.At a signing ceremony held in the nation's capital on December 1st, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration officially issued its long-awaited standards regulating and defining the training of these operators. The standards take effect March 1, 1999.
Briefly, here's the impact of these new rules: It determines who can legally operate a powered industrial truck and with what kinds of prior training as evaluated and certified by the operator's employer (see sidebar).
Some 1.5 million workers are expected to be affected, operating nearly 900,000 forklifts. Included within the coverage by OSHA's new standards will be operators of forklifts in general industry, construction, and maritime operations.
"Each year about 100 workers are killed and almost 95,000 are injured in industrial truck accidents," says OSHA administrator Charles N. Jeffress. "Providing the proper training for operators will help reduce that toll."
His agency estimates that 11 of those deaths and 9,500 injuries will be prevented by the new rules, saving some $135 million in employer costs each year.
Industry pushed for stricter rules. Manufacturers of forklifts, represented by their trade group, the Industrial Truck Association, have long fought for tougher training requirements. On March 15, 1988 ITA first petitioned OSHA to revise its standard.
Under the prior OSHA regulation that dated back to 1971, says William J. Montwieler, ITA executive director, "employers were left to their own devices to determine the scope of their training programs. This approach resulted in disputes between OSHA inspectors and employers, and a realization that further refinements were needed."
Issuance of the new standards, he continues, "draws to a successful conclusion phase one of our effort to be certain that only qualified individuals operate fork lifts. While it has been a slow process, and while we believe the regulation could be significantly strengthened, we recognize the constraints on OSHA's resources."
The association plans "to work with employers, dealers, trainers, and OSHA to maximize the effectiveness of this regulation," Montwieler adds. "ITA is pleased to have led this effort-saving lives, reducing injuries, minimizing the impact of mistakes are of primary concern. The ripple effects of training operators will benefit everyone."
Benefits to operators, employers. "This regulation is one where we can all agree that it will pay off many times over," OSHA chief Jeffress said at the signing ceremony. Out of an estimated $135 million in annual savings, some $83 million is projected to be saved in reduced costs for medical bills, lower workers' compensation costs, and in the value of formerly lost productivity and output from injured workers. Reduced property damage is expected to further cut costs by $52 million.
Employers will have to invest more in training their workers to comply with the OSHA standards. Compliance expenses are projected at nearly $17 million a year for all covered by the new rules.
Distributors of industrial trucks are expected to play a major role in training. OSHA's regulations require employers to be responsible for training their employees and evaluating their performance. But employers may delegate the actual training to outside contractors, if they so choose.
"Dealers, independent trainers, and manufacturers of industrial trucks all anticipate a rush for compliance with the new regulation," says Larry Borre, president of ITA, and an executive with Barrett Industrial Trucks Div., Nissan Forklift Corp. of North America. "Because of their unique position in the distribution process, dealers will be asked to shoulder most of the burden for training."
Flexibility in training standards. The agency's new rules were written, says OSHA chief Jeffress, with flexibility in mind, rather than rigidity in how employers can comply with the standards. That's so, he explains, in order that good training programs already in existence can continue and be modified slightly to meet new rules.
"Most importantly," the OSHA chief adds, the rules mandate that employers provide both formal instruction and actual hands-on operating experience to forklift drivers on the specific trucks they use. Operators also will need to be trained under specific job site conditions.
"We can save more lives by teaching people to work safely," Jeffress argues, than by his agency taking regulatory actions such as inspections and post-accident enforcement.
Quick guide to forklift training rules
Here's a short course in plain language on OSHA's new rules. For more details, consult the December 1st Federal Register, part II, Department of Labor, pages 66238-74; or go the website www.osha.gov.
Who's affected: Employers and their operators of powered forklifts in general industry, construction, and maritime activities.
Employer responsibility: Ensure that employee(s) operating specific type(s) of powered industrial truck(s) are competent to do so as demonstrated by successful completion of training program and evaluation.
When the rules take effect: March 1, 1999. Employees hired before Dec. 1, 1999 must be trained and evaluated by that date. If hired after Dec. 1, 1999, employees must undergo training and evaluation before they are assigned to operate any forklift.
Certification: Employers must certify that training and evaluation have been done.
Training program: Formal instruction-lectures, discussion, videos, written materials, interactive computer learning-plus practical training (includes demonstration by a trainer, practical exercises by the trainee), and then employer evaluation of the employee's performance in the workplace are all parts of a training program.
Evaluation frequency: Employers must evaluate employee performance at least every three years.
Refresher training: Under certain circumstances, refresher training will be necessary. Included are situations where the employee is involved in an accident or near-miss incident; he or she is observed operating the vehicle in an unsafe manner; when evaluation shows the need for refresher training; when workplace changes are made that could affect safe operation of forklifts; and when the trained operator is assigned to a different type of truck.
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