Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Forklifts have long been the workhorses of production plants and warehouses, but there is a growing trend toward forklift-free work areas, fueled by proponents’ claims of increased safety, cost savings, and flexibility. It’s hard to picture production plants without forklifts ferrying materials to assembly lines, but that is becoming the case in an increasing number […]
Forklifts certainly look safe enough, with those sturdy rollover cages surrounding the driver’s area. But those same cages can prove deadly if drivers don’t follow safety procedures; in particular, wearing their seat belts. The National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) surveillance system found that of the 1,021 forklift-related deaths between 1980 and 1994, 22 percent were […]
Forklifts are the workhorses of many warehouses, and both employers and forklift operators must do their parts to ensure their safe operation. The forklift is one of a variety of industrial trucks powered by electric motors or internal combustion engines, and it is probably the most widely used in general industry. Requirements for both employers […]
It’s easy to assume that machines are safe once they have been shut down. But that assumption often leads to tragedy. Here are some key aspects of OSHA’s lockout/tagout standard that can help safeguard your workforce Veteran safety professionals know that simply turning off or unplugging a machine before maintenance, repairs, or retooling is not […]
Forklifts are an essential part of many industrial operations, but they are also involved in 10 percent of all serious industrial accidents every year. Here’s a way to make your forklift safety training unforgettable. Yesterday’s Daily Advisor explored the many sources of potential accidents and injuries in the warehouse environment, as well as some tips […]
From splinters on wooden pallets to improperly operated forklifts, warehouses are a hotspot for workplace accidents and injuries. Here are some commonsense, good housekeeping, and material handling tips to help protect your workforce. No matter how neat and orderly your warehouse may appear, the trained safety eye can see that it is rife with opportunities […]
With a new OSHA lockout/tagout directive in place – including the statement that LOTO compliance will now be part of all OSHA programmed inspections – LOTO training has never been more important. Here’s how you can get your workplace prepared. In yesterday’s Advisor, we told you about OSHA’s new lockout/tagout (LOTO) compliance directive that instructs […]
OSHA’s new lockout/tagout (LOTO) directive tells you how the agency is interpreting the LOTO standards – and how its inspectors will be enforcing it. Wouldn’t you love to have the inside scoop on what OSHA inspectors will be looking for when they examine your lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures? Well, you can – courtesy of the agency […]
Both OSHA and best practices mandate what a forklift operator must know. And effective training techniques mandate the best way to teach it … in action. Yesterday’s Advisor began a discussion about forklift safety and operator training. We noted that while OSHA has a comprehensive standard on forklift training, the regulation includes no provision for […]
OSHA has strict standards for forklift driver training but says nothing about certifying that the trainers know what they’re doing. How good is the quality of your forklift training program? After you read this, you might just wonder. The story is a tragic one, made more so by the victim’s youth. Kevin Hrcka, just 13, […]