ISSA has developed a new resource designed to promote forklift safety in the workplace. According to reports from ISSA's Bill Balek, this new resource is intended to assist employees and employers in reducing and preventing exposure to potential hazards associated with the use of forklifts and other powered industrial trucks.

Each year, tens of thousands of injuries related to forklifts and other powered industrial trucks occur in U.S. workplaces.  Many employees are injured when: struck by a forklift; forklifts are inadvertently driven off loading docks; forklifts fall between docks and an unsecured trailer; or forklifts fall while on elevated pallets and tines.  Most incidents also involve property damage to overhead sprinklers, racking, pipes, walls, and machinery.  Statistics indicate that most employee injuries and property damage are attributable to lack of safe operating procedures, lack of safety rule enforcement, and insufficient or inadequate training.
 
Moreover, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) investigations of forklift-related deaths indicate that many workers and employers may not be aware of the risks of operating or working near forklifts and are not following the procedures set forth in OSHA standards, consensus standards, or equipment manufacturer’s guidelines.  Generally, reducing the risk of forklift incidents requires comprehensive worker training, systematic traffic management, a safe work environment, a safe forklift, and safe work practices.
 
That is why ISSA is dedicating a web page to promoting forklift safety. The ISSA Forklift Safety web page provides a wealth of resources that support the training of forklift operators including:
 
    •    Forklift operation and safety course
    •    PowerPoint presentations on operator training
    •    Forklift safety student and instructor guides
    •    Sample training program outlines
    •    Sample performance test for operators
    •    Checklists for daily inspection of forklifts
 
In addition, the ISSA Forklift Safety web page provides links to OHSA’s Powered Industrial Trucks eTool, CDC and NIOSH guidelines on preventing injuries and deaths of workers who operate forklifts, and battery safety and maintenance.