The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor released new
regulations December 1, 1998 requiring companies using
powered industrial trucks to provide their operators
with classroom and hands-on training by a trained,
knowledgeable and experienced instructor.(29 CFR 1910.178
(L)) These new regulations became effective March 1, 1999,
from which time employers must have been working toward full
compliance by December 1, 1999. State regulatory
authorities, such as CAL-OSHA, were required to bring local
regulatory standards into compliance with OSHA requirements
by June, 2000. Note: Many state regulations exceed minimum
federal guidelines.
This
regulation applies to all industries (general industry 29 CFR 1910), construction (29 CFR 1926), shipyards (29M CFR 1915), marine
terminals (29 CFR 1917) and longshoring operations (29 CFR 1918), with the
exception of agricultural operations. This means employers
from the small corner store to the plants that use any kind
of "..mobile, power-driven vehicle..to carry, push,
pull, lift, stack or tier (product or) materials must
provide their operators with adequate training."
The new
regulations apply to any equipment covered by the specific
industry standard. These include, but are not limited to,
the following powered industrial trucks (regardless of their
name)
- Tractors
(tow, yard, etc.)
- Platform
Lift Trucks (order pickers)
- Motorized
Hand Trucks (powered pallet jacks, including
electric powered)
- Industrial
Crane Trucks
- Combination
Vacuum Lifts
- Guided
Industrial Vehicles
- Container
Top Handlers
- Fork
Trucks (forklifts)
- Container
Reach Stackers
- Semi-tractors/Utility
Vehicles
- Straddle
Carriers
- Hustlers
- Top
Loaders
- Side
Loaders
- Other
Specialized Industrial Trucks Powered by
Electric Motors or Internal Combustion Engines
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