forklift certification

HRinGA

Quickly, does anyone know what the mandates are for forklift training?

LivindonSouth

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 08-04-05 AT 04:11PM (CST)[/font][br][br]Yes. First, there is no such thing as OSHA forklift training or OSHA approved forklift training or OSHA certified forklift operators. OSHA requires that the employer determine it's method of training which must consist of formal instruction and practical training. OSHA does publish some guides, including slides on PPT presentation. Try the [url]www.osha-slc.gov/training/PIT/developing_trg.html[/url] site. Maybe it's still active. If not, google OSHA Forklift

(edit) the info has been move to another site, but the above link will take you there. just checked.


Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

pork1

I concurr with Don! The basic is that each personed assigned to operate a forklift must be trained and carry a means of verification that the ee has been appropriately trained.

The company can have an outside source do the qualifying training or send you to a "train the trainer workshop", where you may be certified to accomplish the simple, but very important training.

I have used both methods and my present company uses the outside resource to accomplish the program.

Once the driver's license is provided the new rules tell you the license will remain valid until the individual performs poorly and at that point the company decides to pull the individual in for revalidation. I much preferred the quality controls of retraining every year to the only requiring retraining and certifying after one performs poorly. Your risk manager with your insurance company maybe able to help you to decide how to best take care of their needs for risk controls, like retraining. They may want you to be very tight.

PORK

LivindonSouth

There is no OSHA requirement that a forklift operator be issued a card indicating they have been trained. That is entirely optional and up to the employer. Some employers use that system in an attempt to have the driver feel a certain level of competence (we don't). Some employers issue cards as a certain badge of honor and jerk them for poor performance. OSHA neither requires nor recommends them.

OSHA requires that you retrain your employee(s) anytime you introduce new equipment to the worksite or anytime the employee is involved in a forklift accident or near miss indicating lack of knowledge. And the training and retraining must be documented and recorded as a matter of record.

The forklift training must be done by a person (employee or outside trainer) capable and competent in the operation of the lift device/truck for which training is given. In other words, somebody in HR cannot bring an employee in and show them a video or slide show or PPT presentation and have that considered training. That would not suffice as approved training.




Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

HRinGA

woohoo! Thanks. We did use an outside source for initial training a couple years ago. Some ee's were given the card you spoke of as a "trainer". Someone questioned me yesterday about it, b/c we haven't had "OSHA" certified forklift training in a while. But you have confirmed my suspicions that we didn't need it b/c it doesn't exist.
Thx!

SMace

We have forklift training at new hire and we do a refresher every three years.

System

General Industry Reg's 1910.178 (l)(4)(iii) require, "an evaluation of each powered industrial truck operator's performance shall be conducted at least once every three years."

And 178 (l)(6) requires certification of training and evaluation of all drivers that includes; name of operator, date of evaluation, identity of the evaluator. This is most easily recorded on a license issued to the driver.

So it is necessary to train all drivers initially, and then evaluate them at least every three years, or when the events noted in other posts occur. And of course, any good Osha inspector will tell you that, "if it's not in writing, it didn't happen."

LivindonSouth

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 08-06-05 AT 05:43AM (CST)[/font][br][br]The easiest, most practical and most 'audit friendly' method of verifying that you followed OSHA requirements in the training and retraining of PIT operators is to document it on a prescribed training form and have it in their personnel file. Assuming your ee will keep up with an operator's certification card will get you in a terrible bind with an audit. Like any other training, it should be recorded and filed either in the personnel file or the HR master training file.

I pointed out to our maintenance manager just today that retraining is required by the fact that we have a newer and larger, leased fork truck on the property. His assumption was that it couldn't be that much different from our other trucks. OSHA requires it. We also had two incidents last year that resulted in dumped loads but no injuries. Had to have retraining. OSHA requires it.

Be sure to remember that when you hire someone who operated a fork truck on prior jobs, you are still required to train him at YOUR facility. His statement that he knows how to operate the equipment is useless as far as OSHA requirements.

(edit) The 're-evaluation' of operators each three years can be 'observation' only and need not be re-training in the form that the initial training was. But, again, even the visual observation form of re-evaluation must be recorded. It is also sufficient to record these activities on a training spreadsheet or database.