Powered Industrial Trucks Training
Powered industrial trucks are important tools in many workplaces.
They perform a variety of material-handling tasks and can make it easier to move heavy or bulky materials. If they are not operated safely, however, powered industrial trucks can also be dangerous.
Unfortunately, not enough companies provide adequate safety training for operators of powered industrial trucks. In fact, the lack of proper training contributes to an estimated 20,000 powered industrial truck–related injuries in the United States each year. Many of these are serious injuries, and some even result in fatalities. In addition, millions of dollars are spent on medical bills, lost wages, rehabilitation costs and attorneys’ fees. There are also the costs of damage to machinery and facilities and costs from destroyed products and missed shipments. In sum, huge costs result from not having effective powered industrial truck safety training.
By providing training on the proper procedures for safely operating a powered industrial truck, you can avoid these injuries and associated costs. Such training should include regular classroom sessions, safety rules, operator safety skill evaluations and operator certification. Operators should know how to operate the types of powered industrial trucks used in your workplace safely and efficiently, both to avoid injuries and property damage and to improve productivity, as well.
The Blueprints for Safety© Powered Industrial Truck Program is designed to provide a step-by-step approach to developing a powered industrial truck safety program for your company. Although there are many different types of powered material-handling equipment, this guide will focus on the safe uses of the most common types of powered industrial trucks.
Please understand that powered industrial truck safety requires extensive training. All controls, movements, techniques and limitations of the equipment must be covered in addition to safety considerations. Powered industrial truck safety requires daily monitoring and regular checks of all equipment skills.
The outcomes of your powered industrial truck safety program will be as follow:
- To have well-trained operators who understand how to operate powered industrial trucks safely
- To have well-maintained and safe powered industrial truck equipment
- To reduce levels of product and property damage and employee injuries
By creating a program for safe powered industrial truck operation, you can help operators understand how to avoid unsafe operating practices and create a safer, more productive workplace.
