Powered Industrial Truck Standard, Research Paper Example

Summarize the training requirements of the Powered Industrial Truck Standard. What challenges and problems, if any, do you see with meeting these requirements?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) establishes a set of standards related to the operation of powered industrial trucks (i.e., forklifts and similar machinery).  In support of these standards, OSHA further establishes specific training requirements intended to ensure that employees who operate powered industrial trucks do so in a safe manner. OSHA requires employers to provide training for the use of forklifts and related equipment that adheres to several standards. The first of these standards is that employees are taught the general principles of safe operation of such vehicles; the second focuses o the specific equipmentthat will be used by employees; the third focuses on identifying potential risks and safety hazards related to the specific workplace; and the fourth focuses on general safety requirements as laid out by OSHA standards.

(source: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/pit/assistance/index.html#training).

In addition to these standards, OSHA also mandates that employers certify that all employees who operate powered industrial trucks in the workplace are properly trained, and employees must demonstrate their operational skills and their understanding of safety standards through hands-on testing. Employers must implement appropriate training exercises, such as classroom lectures and practical exercises. Employees are required to undergo evaluation once every three years to be recertified. In real-world situations, it is possible that such standards might be overlooked in the workplace; for example, a manner or supervisor might decide to save time and effort related to recertification by signing off on the certification for employees who were trained and certified in previous years. Initial training might be lax as well; as an example, a manger or supervisor may hire an employee who has previous experience with powered industrial trucks and therefore decide to forego appropriate or updated training. The use of forklifts and similar equipment is so common in many workplaces that the seriousness of the potential risks may be overlooked or disregarded. It is imperative that effective managers and supervisors ensure that all employees are properly trained and certified in the use of powered industrial trucks.

References

Osha.gov, (2014). Powered Industrial Trucks eTool: Training Assistance. [online] Available at: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/pit/assistance/index.html [Accessed 11 Aug. 2014].