Powered industrial trucks are used on a daily basis by many companies. Most employers don’t think twice about the trucks after they are purchased, and no employees give a second thought to the safety of a piece of equipment they use every day. Unfortunately, that lackadaisical approach to industrial trucks has lead to countless workplace injuries and OSHA fines. To combat workplace injury around these powerful machines, OSHA instituted Standard 1910.178 which covers the fire protection, design, maintenance, and use of fork trucks, tractors, platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks, and other specialized industrial trucks powered by electric motors or internal combustion engines (1910.178(1)(2)). So, if you utilize any of these trucks at your workplace, you might want to ensure you are using them properly.
This standard requires that all trucks be used as intended by the manufacturer, with no modifications, and with all preventative maintenance properly performed. If you do modify the trucks in any way, you need to receive written consent from the manufacturer, which ensure the modification does not make the truck unsafe. You also need to ensure any trucks utilized are up to code based upon the American National Standard for Powered Industrial Trucks, Part II, ANSI B56.1-1969. Once you ensure your trucks are approved, you must identify that they have been approved with a label or tag stating their approval. There must also be official markings stating the truck is approved for fire safety purposes based upon the 11 designations defined in OSHA 1910.178. Then, you need to ensure all designations are listed in the correct locations as outlined in the standard.
Next, you need to look at how your trucks are being used. Most trucks have safety guard requirements, based upon the size and type of truck. You also need to consider how the fuel and batteries are handled and stored. Depending upon the type of truck you use, there might also be regulations around the brakes and wheel stops you have in place. Finally, you want to ensure that your operators are fully trained and competent in the use of the industrial truck they are driving.
If you have any questions about this standard and how it relates to particular industrial trucks your company uses, please contact us. Should you have anything more to add about standard 1910.178, please leave a comment.
