Animated forklift raising forks with empty skid

Liftright.net - Forklift Safety Awareness

Legal Issues

 

Home

 

Forklift Safety Basics

 

Circle Check

 

Stability Triangle

 

Lifting and Moving

 

Pedestrian Safety

 

Traveling On Inclines

 

Loading Trucks

 

Forklift Accidents

   

Handling Propane

 

Legal Issues

 

 

 

Safety of workers through training and use of safe equipment is the responsibility of every employer regardless of jurisdiction 

 

As an example of Laws and regulations, in Canada, The Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation and Code require an employer to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker to show due diligence in the workplace.

 

Regulation for Industrial Establishments, Regulation 851 is more specific about industrial hazards.

 

In the United States, powered industrial equipment falls under the watch of OSHA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration

 

We highly recommend seeking proper certification for forklift or other industrial lift equipment in your area.

Hammer pounding gable, forklift safety awareness site

 

Hammer pounding gabble - you want to stay out of the courtroom

 

 

classroom training center of gravity stability triangle forklift lifttruck training and safety awareness

 

Classroom training - describing the center of gravity, stability triangle and lift truck safety awareness

 

Compliance will require attention in the following areas:

 

  • General safety inspection and maintenance

  • Assessment of load-handling capacity

  • Inspection frequency

  • Operator competence

  • Operating procedures

  • Recordkeeping

  • Training

 

 

Clause 25(2)(a) of the OHS Act places an obligation on an employer to "provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker to protect the health or safety of the worker".

 

Regulation 851 is more specific and states that a lifting device is only to be operated by a competent person. "Competent person" is defined by the OHS Act as someone who:

  • is qualified because of his knowledge, training, and experience to organize the work and its performance,

  • is familiar with the provisions of this Act and the regulations that apply to the work, and

  •  has knowledge of any potential or actual danger to health or safety in the workplace.

Serious look from the judge, ready to pound his gable

 

Serious look from the judge, ready to pound his gable

 

forklift operator training lifting pallet moving skids forklift lift truckstacking a load safety awareness training and certification

 

Forklift operator in training lifting pallets, skids stacking a load safely

 

Both the OHS Act and the Regulation 851 have provisions that relate to work involving powered lift trucks, but neither mention them specifically.  

 

Clause 25(1)(b) of the OHS Act refers to an employer's duty to provide "equipment" that is in good condition.

Clauses 25(2)(a), (c) and (d) deal generally with worker training and supervision. And clause 25(2)(h) is the most general duty of all, requiring an employer to;  

”take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker".  

 

Subsections 51(1) and (2) of Regulation 851 are more specific, with provisions that apply to a "lifting device", defined as;

 

A device that is used to raise or lower any material or object and includes its rails and other supports but does not include a device to which the Elevating Devices Act applies.

 

This definition clearly applies to powered lift trucks and should be interpreted broadly as including not just the elevating section of a truck but the entire vehicle.

old antique classic forklift fork lift lift truck safety awareness training and certification

 

Old antique classic forklift