Operating a forklift fleet is already an expensive proposition—and injuries on the job or citations from OSHA only compound costs. With the litany of regulations to follow, it is easy to fall behind, and it takes only a few seconds for things to go wrong…sometimes terribly wrong.

PMT Forklift has trained thousands of operators and visited hundreds of facilities. During our facility visits, we observe plenty of hazards and violations. The following is our “Top Five” list of most-seen violations or safety hazards:

1. Lifting, lowering, and driving with an elevated load – Visit OSHA’s Forklift eTool section on Mast Placement to see requirements and regulations for moving the mast.
2. Neglected pre-shift inspections – Click HERE to see what OSHA requires and recommends regarding how to inspect and what to do if you find a problem. Avoid costly injuries, product loss, and lawsuits by knowing and abiding by the regulation. 
3. Refresher training not completed every three years – There are many safety hazards that we could mention on this list, but ignored training seems to appear most often…at a high cost if OSHA visits you. Read about the required refresher training HERE on OSHA’s eTool. 
4. Operating too fast for conditions – While OSHA does not set specific speeds for forklift operation, it does recommend “safe” speeds. Read OSHA's recommendations and requirements on speed and maneuvering HERE. We have witnessed plenty of instances where forklifts were operated at speeds too high for facility conditions. Be sure to create and enforce standards among operators.
5. Not securing trailers or using wheel chocks before entering a semi-trailer – We all operate at lightspeed and often have a lot to do, but we also have seen the Internet videos of what happens when a trailer pulls away and the driver believes that his trailer is loaded or unloaded. Learn what OSHA says about railroad cars and trailers by clicking HERE.

With the holiday season upon us, personnel will grow, and many of these new employees will have little or no experience on lift equipment, much less lift equipment at your specific facility and in your internal department. In order to be certain that you are taking the necessary steps to ensure safety for these new hires, be sure that a credible source trains them.

We have a wide variety of forklift operator training programs and materials to fit your needs. Whether you train your own operators and simply need quality, reliable supplies or need your entire workforce trained on a variety of equipment, we can assist you. Visit our Safety Training page on our website to learn more.

We want to see all of our customers operate safe and productive facilities. Have a question about forklift training or OSHA? Want to schedule training for your employees? Give Mark DeLeon a call at 631-661-5050 or email at markd@pmtforklift.com.

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