Associated-Allied

It's been more than a decade since OSHA mandated that all lift truck operators throughout the U.S. complete formal safety programs have become standard operating procedure in material moving environments.

Comprehensive lift truck safety programs and lift trucks manufactures have undoubtedly reduced accidents and injuries caused by unsafe lift truck practices. They have also helped to boost operator confidence, reduce product damage, minimize costly equipment repairs and increase overall lift truck uptime and productivity.

While most manufacturing facility and distribution center managers provide extensive, formalized programs for new hires, there are circumstances in which a full-blown regiment is not necessary. Refresher training is an option for existing employees who only need education that has been updated for certain aspects of lift truck operation. Brush up programs target specific areas for improvement and assume an operator is competent in other aspects of lift truck operation.

Formal Evaluations

According to OSHA, employers must evaluate and recertify all lift truck operators, novices and veterans alike, at least once every three years. However, OSHA leaves the details up to the employer. Specific criteria that operators must meet for certification are not formally available, so the employer must use its own discretion to determine whether or not an employee is fully prepared to operate a lift truck in the facility.

An evaluation can involve discussing performance with operators, observing employees using the trucks, administering written or performance based tests; or documenting previous training that meets current requirements.

Because employers are responsible for certifying their lift truck operators and documenting that operators have been properly trained and evaluated on their performance, it is imperative that employers conduct thorough evaluations.

Some lift trucks manufactures offer appraisal checklists that list items to consider when determining whether a lift truck driver has been appropriately trained. These checklists include items that were covered in training sessions and then further practices by the trainee. The checklist can serve as a guideline to help an employer document lift truck training and conduct a thorough evaluation of an operator's performance. Many lift truck dealers also conduct training sessions tailored to a company's specific needs.

According to OSHA, if an operator has been evaluated and determined to be competent on a specific topic that was previously taught, duplicate training is not required. Therefore, an evaluation should reveal the need for refresher training. Lectures, videos, demonstrations or practice sessions can all be used for refresher training.

Informal Red Flags

There are other signals that more educations is needed, but certain red flags are rarely indentified through formal evaluations. Simple observation is the best test. If an employee is seen violating safety policies or has been involved in an accident or near miss, the response from management should be obvious. The operator should be briefed on that went wrong to prevent a similar incident from happening again.

New Highers and Temps

Importantly, new but experienced employers are not exempt for OSHA requirements. Even if an operator has been trained recently by his or her former employer, the hiring manager must still evaluate the new operator to ensure the previous training is appropriate for the new operational environment.

If the new operator is found to be competent in most areas but needs updates on some specific areas, then refresher training is an option that will avoid covering topics the employee already knows.

Companies also are responsible for training and evaluating of temporary workers who will operate lift trucks. Even if operators are trained by the employment agency that refers them, it is still the responsibility of the employer to evaluate and certify that temporary employee. As with year round staff, the employer must certify that temporary lift truck operators meet the company's specific training requirements and performance standards.

Training and evaluation of temporary works must be properly documents to meet OSHA regulations. If training is not conducted, not adequate or not properly documented, the agency can levy hefty fines.

But preventing OSHA penalties should not be the only reason to take a second look at refresher training. Effective lift truck operator training minimizes downtime, increases productivity and ultimately benefits the company, its employees and its customer. This article was provided by Rudy Cuevas, Associated Corporate Safety Administrator and was featured in the June, 2009 edition of Material Handling Management.

Lead-acid batteries are the environmental success story of our time. More than 97 percent of all battery lead is recycled. Compared to 55 percent of aluminum soft drink and beer cans, 45 percent of newspapers, 26 percent of glass bottles and 26 percent of tires, lead-acid batteries top the list of the most highly recycled consumer product.

The lead-acid battery gains its environmental edge from its closed-loop life cycle. The typical new lead-acid battery contains 60 to 80 percent recycled lead and plastic. When a spent battery is collected, it is sent to a permitted recycler where, under strict environmental regulations, the lead and plastic are reclaimed and sent to a new battery manufacturer. The recycling process goes on indefinitely. That means the lead and plastic in the lead-acid battery in your car, truck, boat or motorcycle have been, and will continue to be, recycled many times. This makes lead-acid battery disposal extremely successful from both environmental and cost perspectives.

As a consumer, you are responsible to ensure that your waste batteries are disposed of in accordance with state and federal laws.

Procedures for properly disposing of lead-acid batteries:

Batteries must be securely banded to a pallet that is complete with no damage or defects.

Contact your local forklift dealer for information and arrangements to pick-up or deliver the batteries to the recycling location. The recycler is typically your forklift dealer or direct to the battery manufacturer's dealership. They will provide you with a receipt or bill-of-lading which should have the quantities and serial numbers of the batteries you are disposing of.

Once the recycling location has accumulated enough product they will send it to a smelter that is EPA certified to recycle the product.

The smelter will provide a Certificate of Recycling. A copy will be provided to the recycling location and to the consumer. This must be kept on file a minimum of five years.

This article was featured in the March, 2010 edition of the Associated Advantage Newsletter.

3. OSHA Increases Safety Enforcement

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) more than 4.6 million workers are seriously injured on the job annually. In an effort to address these urgent safety and health problems facing American workers today OSHA is implementing a new Severe Violator Enforcement Program and increasing civil penalty amounts.

This supplemental enforcement tool includes increased OSHA inspections at worksites, including mandatory OSHA follow up inspections, and inspections of other worksites of the same employer where similar hazards and deficiencies may be present.

There are many steps your company can take to make certain you comply with OSHA guidelines. One of the first steps is to ensure proper safety training for all employees. Improper training is at the core of many accidents and safety violations. For example, last year, Powered Industrial Trucks was one of the top 10 most penalized standards, with OSHA handing out 3,478 citations (1,200 of those for improper training). According to OSHA, the majority of these accidents are caused by operator error.

The OSHA standard for Powered Industrial Trucks is performance oriented, which allows you to tailor your operator training program to the specific characteristics of their workplace and the types of powered industrial trucks used.

OSHA 1910.178 Powered Industrial Trucks mandates three specific things from employers:

1. Operators must be trained on the type of truck, or trucks, they operate on the job.

2. Operators must be trained in the environment in which they work.

3. Operators must be evaluated and certified in both functions by a qualified trainer.

Properly training your powered industrial truck operators is not only required by the law, it will help your company reduce injuries and property damage that result from lift truck accidents. To find additional information on OSHA compliance regulations please visit their website at, www.osha.gov

This article was featured in the June, 2010 edition of the Associated Advantage Newsletter. To receive more safety tips, be sure to check back regularly and sign up for our Quarterly Newsletter – The Associated Advantage by clicking here.