For National Forklift Safety Day, Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas group, a leading North American provider and manufacturer of material handling and innovative automation and fleet solutions, is partnering with the Industrial Truck Association (ITA) to help raise awareness of forklift safety as part of its ongoing “Safety Every Day” commitment, which provides helpful resources on available training and safety tips.
What are the Benefits of Forklift Certification?
- Complying with OSHA regulations improves jobsite safety and helps avoid fines.
- Forklift safety training covers regular inspections of forklift equipment, which can help reduce the likeliness of accidents and help increase the life of your lift truck equipment.
- Fewer accidents and mistakes can also translate into higher productivity and efficiency while operating lift trucks.
- A workplace attitude of safety is contagious, and if your employees reinforce the importance of safety, it can greatly improve the overall morale of your workers. While they may feel competent enough to operate a forklift, they may worry about others in their work environment who could cause an accident. Having regular training and certifying your forklift operators demonstrates to your employees that you care about their well-being.
What is the Forklift Certification Process?
- Formal instruction on forklift inspection, maintenance, and safe operation must be provided. This can come in the form of a lecture, online training courses and videos, written materials and study guides, and other educational information on forklift operation and safety.
- OSHA also requires practical (or “hands-on”) training sessions where the trainee successfully demonstrates the safe operation of the forklift. Training shall be completed by people who have the knowledge, training, and experience to train forklift operators.
- After training is completed, there must be an evaluation of operator performance in the workplace. This helps to ensure that operators are trained and certified to handle the complexities of their specific work environment. Training must meet OSHA 1910.178 standards and also cover forklift and workplace-related topics. You can find the specific training topics listed in the 1910.178 (i) standard.
Resources for Operator Training
We offer helpful resources such as the Forklift Certification Guide and FAQs that can provide guidance and answers frequently asked questions for those seeking forklift certification, including available training options, the basic legal requirements, and more. Visit Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas’ operator training website page for more information.
Contributed by Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas
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