Employers that don’t make sure forklift operators are trained and strapped could be cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, according to a new agency guidance.
The guidance, which followed up a rule published in 1998, is intended to make sure that inspectors are enforcing the rule consistently. OSHA distributed the guidance to its safety inspectors so they would know what to look for when evaluating a company’s industrial truck operations.
The rule and guidance have raised concerns among trucking industry representatives. Specific concerns are that the definition of an industrial truck is unclear, seat belt requirements may not be appropriate for all vehicles, and on-site performance evaluation requirements may delay truck drivers, according to Stuart Flatow, American Trucking Associations director of occupational safety and health.
Employers fear the compliance directive will subject them not only to regulatory action but also to legal liability and will force them to go overboard to demonstrate their compliance with provisions, Flatow said.