Year after year, powered industrial trucks, or forklifts, consistently show up on OSHA’s top ten most cited violations list. This usually happens because either the forklifts aren’t in great shape, or the operators don’t have enough training. Here’s a look at the top 10 most common violations:
- Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501): 6,072 violations
- Hazard Communication (1910.1200): 4,176 violations
- Scaffolding (1926.451): 3,288 violations
- Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 3,097 violations
- Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 2,877 violations
- Ladders (1926.1053): 2,241 violations
- Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 2,162 violations
- Machine Guarding (1910.212): 1,933 violations
- Fall Protection – Training Requirements: 1,523 violations
- Electrical – Wiring Methods (1910.305): 1,405 violations
Forklifts are heavy machinery that, surprisingly, contribute to a significant number of injuries and deaths each year. That’s why forklift safety measures are so crucial.
According to OSHA, “There are many types of powered industrial trucks, and each presents different operating hazards. For example, a sit-down, counterbalanced high-lift rider truck is more likely than a motorized hand truck to be involved in a falling load accident because the sit-down rider truck can lift a load much higher than a hand truck.”
Workplace type and conditions are also factors in hazards commonly associated with powered industrial trucks.”…”Determining the best way to protect workers from injury largely depends on the type of truck operated and the worksite where it is being used. Employers must ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation specified in 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(1).”
The following infographic breaks down the figures regarding forklifts. It offers the importance of taking forklift safety seriously, and gives preventative measures so that as early as the forklift purchasing process, you can steps for safe operation.
