Members of the GCIU who operate powered industrial trucks will be affected by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's new training requirements covering these workplace vehicles.

The new OSHA rule applies to forklifts, motorized hand trucks, floor sweepers, and other powered industrial trucks used to push, pull, lift, stack, or tier material in general industry and the construction and maritime industries. It does not apply to vehicles used for earth moving or over-the-road hauling.

OSHA said its previous rule on powered industrial trucks, which was issued in 1971, had become outdated in the area of training. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, which previously changed its training provisions, and the Industrial Truck Association, representing truck manufacturers, petitioned OSHA to revise its training requirements.

OSHA's new standard requires employers to establish a training program based on the trainee's prior knowledge and skill, types of powered industrial trucks used in the workplace, hazards in the workplace, and the operator's demonstrated ability to safely handle a powered industrial truck.

GCIU Safety and Health Director Brian J. Bobal said that "overall, the new rule isn't bad." He pointed out that, prior to these changes, workers were required to be licensed to operate powered industrial trucks. "This rule helps employers by letting employees operate these vehicles prior to getting a license," he said.

Bobal cited three key issues in OSHA's new rule: employers must certify that training and evaluation have been performed; operators must be re-evaluated every three years; and operators involved in accidents or near misses must be re-evaluated.

According to OSHA, the new training rule requires employers to:

• Ensure that the employee is competent to operate a powered industrial truck, as demonstrated by successful completion of a training program and evaluation.

• Provide formal instruction, practical training, and evaluation of the operator's performance in the workplace. Classroom instruction may include lectures, discussion, interactive computer learning, videotape, and/or written material. Practical training is defined by OSHA as demonstrations performed by the trainer and practical exercises performed by the trainee.

• Provide sufficient evaluation and refresher training to enable the employee to retain and use the knowledge and skills needed to operate the powered industrial truck safely.

• Conduct an evaluation of all new operators and evaluate each operator's performance every three years.

• Provide refresher training if: the operator is involved in an accident or near-miss incident; the operator has been observed operating the vehicle in an unsafe manner; the operator has been determined in an evaluation to need additional training; there are changes in the workplace that could affect safe operation of the truck; or the operator is assigned to a different type of truck.

• Certify that the training and evaluation have been done.

OSHA is not requiring retraining for operators who have received training and been found by an evaluation to be competent to perform the duties of an operator safely.

Bobal noted that, among the requirements for the training program content is the important topic of daily maintenance on powered industrial trucks.

Also important, Bobal said, is the requirement for practical training because only classroom training was previously required. "Now operators have to be evaluated on the actual equipment they will use," he noted.

The new rule went into effect March 1, 1999. The training and evaluation of employees hired before Dec. 1, 1999, must be completed by that date. The training and evaluation of employees hired after Dec. 1 must be completed before the employee is assigned to operate a powered industrial truck.

OSHA Administrator Charles N. Jeffress said that 100 workers are killed and nearly 95,000 are injured in industrial truck accidents. "Providing the proper training for the drivers will help reduce that toll," he said.

OSHA estimated the new training requirements will save $135 million every year. The agency said that $83 million will be saved in reduced direct costs such as medical savings, administering workers' compensation, and value of lost output. Another $52 million will be saved each year in reduced accident-related property damage. The total costs of compliance are estimated at $16.9 million per year, OSHA said.