Young Workers and Forklifts are a Deadly Combination

The numbers of workers getting injured in forklift related accidents are mostly young workers. There are a disproportionate number of forklift accidents relating to young workers and that may be due to various reasons like lack of training, risk taking and inexperience.

According to the OSHA’s Powered Industrial Truck standard, employers must see to it that the powered industrial trucks are operated by a person competent enough to operate the truck safely. They must have a successful completion of training and evaluation. Workers under 18 are prohibited from using the forklifts at the non-agricultural industries and under 16 in agricultural industries.

These rules have come up to protect young workers from dreadful injuries. Forklift related accidents with young workers happen partly as a matter of poor judgment, inexperience, lack of training and supervision.

To curb this problem, it is very necessary to train employees before they undertake any forklift operations. The OSHA safety training includes a section on forklift hazards and the ways to control the hazards. The OSHA training courses also deal with key areas as hazard communication, back safety, general workplace safety, OSHA requirements, and many more. Help your employees to stay safe with the training.

Forklift accidents are costly to both employees and the organizations. Identifying the hazards related to forklifts can reduce the hazards and help employees operate the truck safely.

Want to Become an OSHA Inspector? Here’s what you have to do

According to statistics, the number of injuries and illnesses witnessed in the general industry was 4.2 cases per 100 workers in 2007. The main aim of OSHA is to ensure that these work-related sicknesses, injuries and deaths are prevented. The agency was basically created to ensure that occupational deaths are reduced, and it has successfully achieved this.

The agency has thousands of inspectors and there are several thousands of inspections that take place each year by these qualified inspectors. So, how does one become an OSHA inspector?

• Check whether the salary range suits your needs. The average salary of an OSHA inspector is anywhere from $46,625 to $73,329 per annum.

• Are you willing to relocate? The main headquarters of OSHA are located in Smyrna, Georgia.

• Obtain a degree in the health and safety field and learn about hazardous materials, industrial hygiene, safety, occupational health and medicine, unsafe environmental conditions, toxicology and many similar subjects.

• Get the necessary experience. It is important to have at least 52 weeks of experience in the field in order to become an inspector.