The powered industrial trucks (PIT) standard (29 CFR 1910.178)
is the most commonly cited standard throughout the material handling industries. Most fatalities occur when a worker is crushed by a
forklift that has overturned or fallen from a loading dock. The following is an overview of the regulations, training requirements,
and other resources:
Loading and Unloading Overview
PITs, or forklifts, are used in numerous work settings, primarily to
load and unload materials. Forklift overturns are the leading cause of
fatalities involving forklifts and they represent about 25% of all
forklift-related deaths. The case studies examined by the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) indicate that the
forklift, the factory environment, and actions of the operator can all
contribute to fatal incidents involving forklifts. In addition, these
fatalities indicate that many employees and employers are not using or may
be unaware of safety procedures and the proper use of forklifts to reduce
the risk of injury and death.
For additional information on this fatality data, see:
OSHA Compliance
Standards
General Industry
(29 CFR 1910)
-
1910 Subpart N, Materials handling and storage
- 1910.176,
Handling materials - general. Contains requirements for use of mechanical equipment, materials storage, load clearances, etc.
- 1910.178, Powered industrial trucks
- Powered Industrial Trucks.
Final Rules 68:32637-32638, (2003, June 2). States that
29 CFR 1910.178(m)(12)
is unenforceable by OSHA. This technical amendment deletes a Powered Industrial Trucks Standard covering
the use of powered industrial trucks to lift personnel. It is being deleted
because it was invalidly promulgated from a non-mandatory provision of a
national consensus standard. Because it is unenforceable, OSHA is removing that
provision, 29 CFR 1910.178(m)(12), from the Powered Industrial Trucks Standard. Note
that OSHA is removing all of paragraph (m)(12), including its subordinate paragraphs (m)(12)(i) through (m)(12)(iii).
This amendment becomes effective July 2, 2003.
Shipyard Employment (29 CFR 1915)
-
1915 Subpart G, Gear and equipment for rigging and materials handling
- 1915.120, Powered industrial truck operator training
Marine Terminals (29 CFR 1917)
Longshoring (29 CFR 1918)
-
1918 Subpart C, Gangways and other means of cccess
-
1918 Subpart G, Cargo handling gear and equipment other than ship's
gear
- 1918.65,
Mechanically-powered vehicles used aboard vessels
- 1918.67,
Notifying the ship's officers before using certain equipment
-
1918 Subpart H, Handling cargo
Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)
-
1926 Subpart O, Motor vehicles, mechanized equipment, and marine
operations
- 1926.602,
Material handling equipment. Includes requirements for powered
industrial trucks.
For additional information, see
OSHA Standards and
Frequently Cited OSHA Standards.
For further information on industry standards, see
National Consensus Standards.
Directives
- Compliance Assistance for the Powered Industrial Truck Operator Training Standards.
CPL 02-01-028 [CPL 2-1.28A], (2000, November 30).
- Chocking of Tractor Trailer under the Powered Industrial Truck Standard.
CPL 02-01-030 [CPL 2-1.30], (1999, October 19). Establishes policy to
ensure proper enforcement of
29 CFR 1910.178(k)(1) and
29 CFR 1910.178(m)(7).
- Logging Operations, Inspection Procedures and Interpretive Guidance Including Twelve Previously Stayed Provisions. CPL 02-01-022 [CPL 2-1.22], (1996,
September 27). Clarifies the use of overhead guards for
forklifts.
-
Electrical Safety-Related Work Practices -- Inspection Procedures and Interpretation Guidelines. STD 01-16-007 [STD 1-16.7], (1991, July 1).
States that employees using industrial
trucks under overhead lines must be trained on the electrical
hazards involved.
- 29 CFR 1910.178(k)(1) and (m)(7): Mechanical Means to Secure Trucks or Trailers to a Loading Dock. STD 01-11-007 [STD 1-11.7], (1981, August 5).
Allows the use of mechanical means to secure trucks or
trailers to a loading dock in situations where they provide
the equivalent protection of wheel chocks.
- 29 CFR 1910.178(m)(6) Powered Industrial Trucks; Truck Operations. STD
01-11-003 [STD 1-11.3], (1978, October 30). Provides guidelines on citing
29 CFR 1910.178(m)(6) when trucks use a door opening device for opening or closing
railroad freight car doors.
-
Search all available
directives.
Standard Interpretations
Training Requirements
- 29 CFR 1910.178, Powered industrial trucks.
OSHA Standard. Includes specific training requirements for
forklift operators who load and unload trucks.
- Host employers may require site-specific forklift training of visiting workers.
OSHA Standard Interpretation, (1999, October 28).
Indicates that employers are entitled to require that persons who
operate power pallet jacks at its worksite have a greater degree of
training than is required
by the regulation and that they be trained specifically in the equipment
and conditions at its worksite.
General Hazard References
Industry Specific Hazards
Airline
-
Baggage Handling. OSHA eTool. Describes many of the common hazards
associated with the baggage handling process and provides possible
solutions that are ranked according to their feasibility to the
operations.
Beverage Delivery
Construction
-
Construction. OSHA eTool. Contains
information that helps workers identify and control the hazards that
cause the most serious construction-related injuries. A
Spanish translation of this eTool is also available.
Grocery Warehousing
-
Grocery Warehousing. OSHA eTool. Describes example ergonomic hazards
and solutions related to Order Picking, which accounts for a large
number of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
Logging
-
Logging. OSHA eTool. Provide expert assistance for businesses and
workers seeking to comply with OSHA's logging standard. Logging
procedures are examined, OSHA regulations explained, and links are
provided to the specific sections of the standard. This is also
available as a
downloadable file.
Maritime
-
Shipyard Employment: Ship Repair. OSHA eTool. Addresses the entire
1915 regulation as it pertains to Ship Repair which includes activities
such as altering, converting, installing, cleaning, painting, and
maintaining vessels.
-
OSHA Assistance for the Maritime Industry. OSHA Safety and Health
Topics Page.
- Longshoring Industry. OSHA Publication 2232, (2001), 480 KB PDF*, 291 pages.
Contains all the safety and health standards concerning the marine terminal and longshoring
industries, as contained in 29 CFR 1917 and 29 CFR 1918),
as of June 30, 2000.
-
Longshoring and Marine Terminals: Hazard Abatement Summaries. OSHA, (2002,
October).
Meat Packing
-
Poultry Processing Industry. OSHA eTool. Focuses on identifying and
controlling major hazards that contributed to the high rates of injuries
found in a recent OSHA Survey of the industry. Other serious hazards are
also discussed. Examples used in this advisor are from the processing of
chickens, but may be applicable to other bird processing.
Oil and Well Gas Drilling and Servicing
Railroad
Wood Products
Accessibility Assistance: Contact the OSHA Directorate of Technical Support
and Emergency Management at 202-693-2310 for assistance accessing OSHA PDF
materials.
*These pages are available for downloading.
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