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Powered industrial trucks (PITs), commonly called forklifts or lift trucks, are used in many industries, primarily to move materials. They can also be used to raise, lower, or remove large objects or a number of smaller objects on pallets or in boxes, crates, or other containers. Powered industrial trucks can either be ridden by the operator or controlled by a walking operator. Each type presents different operating hazards. Workplace type and conditions are also factors in hazards commonly associated with powered industrial trucks. For example, OSHA says that retail establishments often face greater challenges than other worksites in maintaining pedestrian safety.
OSHA’s Powered Industrial Truck standard applies to most types of material handling equipment that is powered for horizontal movement. This includes forklifts, order pickers, powered pallet jacks, yard jockeys, stand-up and narrow aisle lift trucks, to name a few. The standard does not cover over-the-road haulage trucks and earth-moving equipment that has been modified to accept forks. In addition, the standard does not apply to scissor lifts or aerial lifts (some of those are covered by other OSHA standards, however).
As part of its process to develop a proposed rule updating its standard for powered industrial trucks (PITs), OSHA sent its pre-rule to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in October 2018. The current regulation at 1910.178 relies on ANSI standards from 1969, and the Industrial Truck Association has encouraged OSHA to update and expand the regulation to account for substantial revisions to ANSI standards on PITs over the last 45 years. The current regulation covers 11 types of trucks, but there are now 19 types found in industry. OSHA’s upcoming proposed rule would seek to update the consensus standard referenced from the 1969 version of the ANSI B56.1 to the 2016 version. As soon as OMB approves the pre-rule, it will appear in the Federal Register.
OSHA requires employers to: