Many industries around the globe rely heavily on the capabilities of powered industrial trucks. These trucks often referred to as forklifts, are used for the vast majority of the heavy lifting in warehouses, factories, and industrial workplaces.
Given the nature of these pieces of heavy machinery, there is a natural risk of workplace injury. In fact, the most common citation for hazards in the workplace from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is directly related to powered industrial trucks. Common accidents with forklifts in an industrial workplace are:
Lift trucks being accidentally driven off loading docks
Employees or pedestrians getting struck by a lift truck
Lift trucks falling between an unsecured trailer and a dock
People falling off of an elevated pallet
A supply chain is a moving puzzle that consists of air, land, and sea travel; however, powered industrial trucks are often found at the end of each step in the supply chain in order to load and unload cargo. All powered industrial equipment poses similar safety hazards, and forklifts are no exception. Accidents are primarily collisions, falling loads, and fire/explosion hazards.
It isn’t a secret that OSHA has instilled a strict list of rules and regulations to be followed at every workplace. These regulations are responsible for a drastic decline in workplace incidents; however, accidents are always bound to happen. It is a collective responsibility of an employer and the employees in ensuring that the regulations are followed to ensure that the highest level of safety is being met in the workplace.
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