Although forklift accidents are rare, they do happen in the workplace, and they’re well-documented:
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that forklift-related fatalities resulted in 614 worker deaths between 2011 and 2017. On top of that, every year more than 7,000 nonfatal workplace injuries lead to workers missing work.
Clearly, forklift drivers need proper OSHA-certified safety training, as untrained operators put themselves and everyone else on-site at risk. Certification lowers the number of work accidents and fatalities while also reducing business losses due to damaged products.
Below we’ll go over what makes forklift training essential to a safe workplace and get you started on the path to completing your OSHA forklift training requirements.
Forklift Training Keeps You Safe
The three most common types of forklift fatalities occur when:
- The forklift overturns from an imbalanced load
- Workers are hit, crushed, or pinned by a forklift
- Falling while operating from heights
In addition, a forklift bearing little to no weight can move surprisingly fast. Certain models are able to reach a top speed of 18mph.
To avoid potentially fatal accidents, forklift training is essential to a safe workplace – it shows employees how to safely operate a forklift and teaches them how to properly load and unload materials.
OSHA Certification is the Standard
It’s also a mandatory requirement.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires workers to undergo forklift safety training a minimum of once every three years.
Furthermore, if an incident occurs on-site, or workers are observed handling the truck in an unsafe manner, employees involved (even supervisors) must attend a refresher training course.
Training always consists of covering topics such as truck controls, vehicle stability and capacity, load handling, and going over surface conditions in the workplace.
It’s important that a training program be comprehensive and developed to the OSHA standard, which is designed to keep you and others safe.
Developing Skills Means Developing Safety
Working in a warehouse already requires certain skills, and taking the time to learn about forklift operation is a valuable investment in that skill set.
Much of what training covers can be taken with you in your career:
A part of operator training involves going over truck maintenance and being able to perform an inspection. Another involves how to properly refuel or recharge (depending on whether the forklift is gas or electric) the truck.
Training courses like these allow workers to take their safety skills wherever they go. Certification brightens resumes and leads to safer working conditions in workplaces overall.
Ready to Start With Your Training?
By requiring all forklift operators to undergo OSHA-certified training, workplaces that use forklifts are safer.
The path toward safety certification shares the path toward the development of workplace skills – you can develop your workplace skillset and reduce your risk of injury at the same time.
Contact us to enroll in a comprehensive forklift training course and get the required certification you need.