['Forklifts and Powered Trucks', 'Materials Handling and Storage']
['Materials Handling and Storage', 'Forklifts and Powered Trucks']
07/17/2024
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California’s state requirements regarding powered industrial trucks include a substantial amount of regulatory information different from federal requirements. Click the link(s) below to view the applicable requirements.
Citations
California: Title 8, Chapter 4, Subchapter 7, Group 4, Article 25
Federal: 29 CFR 1910.178 and Appendix A
A summary of the additional requirements includes the following:
- RECENT CHANGE November 2018 — Cal/OSHA has made a mandatory change to the Operating Rules for Industrial Trucks (Forklifts) poster. The poster, which must be displayed wherever an industrial truck (or forklift) is owned, operated or maintained, was updated to show an amendment to General Industry Safety Order 3650 (t)(17). Under the amended rule, the operator is required to remain in the seat of the industrial truck except when the operator is actively loading or unloading materials.
- Industrial trucks in California must comply with a variety of national design and construction standards, depending on their date of manufacture.
- Trucks equipped with front-end attachments other than factory installed attachments must be marked to show the capacity of the truck and attachment combination.
- When a conversion kit is installed, the original type designation must be replaced with a durable plate permanently mounted on the truck indicating the type designation of the converted truck.
- Trucks must not be operated in atmospheres containing more than 20 percent of the Lower Explosive Limit of flammable gas or vapor unless approved for the area.
- Batteries must be secured in suitable racks, which are secured to the truck.
- Motorized hand and hand/rider trucks must be designed so that the brakes are applied and the power to the drive motor shut off when the operator releases his grip on the control tongue, or the device used to control travel, except vehicles designed for use in order picking operations.
- Radio remote control vehicles must be equipped with positive means, which restrict the speed of the vehicle to 3.5 mph while it is being operated with radio remote control.
- Counterweights, forks, fork extensions, and other attachments must be affixed so that they cannot be accidentally dislodged.
- Industrial tractors, including tractors used for landscaping, construction, loading, digging, grounds keeping, and highway maintenance (with some exceptions), must be equipped with rollover protective structures.
- Proper seat belt assemblies must be provided and used on all equipment where rollover protection is installed, and employees must be instructed in their use.
- In general, when provided by the industrial truck manufacturer, an operator restraint system such as a seat belt shall be used.
- In industrial tractors, all sharp edges and corners at the operator's station must be treated to minimize operator injury in the event of upset, and batteries, fuel tanks, oil reservoirs, and coolant systems must be constructed and located or sealed to assure that spillage will not occur which might be harmful to the operator in the event of an upset.
- Where vehicles are equipped with rollover protective structures and are subjected to the hazard of falling trees, brush, or the breaking of tow lines or winch cables, such hazards must be protected against using shear or brush deflector guards, or breaking line guards located between the lines and the operator.
- On order pickers and stock pickers, when the operator's platform height exceeds 36 inches, the maximum horizontal speed must not exceed 2.5 miles/hr, and when the platform is over 152 inches high, the truck must not travel.
- Order and stock pickers must have:
- A warning light activated automatically when the platform is 6 feet or higher and the truck is moved; and
- A work platform at least 20 inches wide;
- Standard guardrails on all open or exposed sides, or a safety belt or harness with lanyard; and
- If the employee is exposed to a fall of four feet or more, a personal fall arrest system, personal fall restraint system, or positioning device system.
- Where only stock pickers, order pickers, or side loaders are used in storage access aisles, employers must provide guide rails, electronic guidance systems, or other means of preventing the vehicle from colliding with the storage racks or stored material.
- If employees are lifted using an industrial truck, the platform must:
- Be at least 24" x 24";
- Meet guardrail and toeboard requirements (or be equipped with a safety belt or harness);
- Have no spaces or holes greater than one inch in its floor;
- Have a slip-resistant surface; and
- Not fall faster than 135 feet per minute if the load supporting hydraulic control circuits fail.
- All bridge cranes or other moving or motorized equipment, which could overrun or otherwise injure an elevated worker must be shut down or locked out.
- Before elevating personnel, employees must be instructed in a variety of safety precautions.
- Every end control, reach, narrow aisle and motorized hand/rider truck must be equipped with an operator platform big enough to contain the operator's feet within its periphery.
- The side of the platform nearest the mast frame truss must be guarded on every high-lift industrial truck where employees ride up or down.
- The load backrest extension (or other means preventing parts of the load from falling onto the operator) on high-lift industrial trucks must not any openings larger than the smallest parcel carried.
- Every employer using industrial trucks or industrial tow tractors must post and enforce a set of operating rules including the appropriate rules listed in 3650(t).
- Vehicles must not be moved until the operator is certain that all persons are in the clear.
- Motorized hand and hand/rider trucks must be operated on all grades with the load-engaging means downgrade.
- The forks must always be carried as low as possible, consistent with safe operations.
- When a vehicle is left unattended, the mast must be brought to the vertical position.
- Vehicles must not be run onto an elevator unless the driver is specifically authorized to do so. Before entering an elevator, the driver must determine that the capacity of the elevator will not be exceeded.
- When loading or unloading railroad cars, blue flags or lights must be displayed in accordance with Section 3333 of Cal/OSHA's General Safety Orders and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 218.27.
- The width of one tire on the powered industrial truck must be maintained from the edge while on any elevated dock, platform, freight car, or truck.
- Parking closer than 8-1/2 feet from the centerline of railroad tracks is prohibited.
- When powered industrial trucks are used to open and close doors, a device specifically designed for opening or closing doors must be attached to the truck, the force applied to the door must be applied parallel to the direction of travel of the door, the entire door opening operation must be in full view of the operator, and the operator and other employees must be clear of the area where the door might fall while being opened.
- Copies of operating instructions for industrial tractors, printed in a language understood by the majority of the employees, must be posted at a place frequented by the drivers.
- Vehicles operating on rails or drawn by chains or cables must be equipped with wheel guards or bumpers to prevent a person's feet from being crushed under the wheels.
- The use, care and maintenance of slings used in lifting suspended loads with forklifts must comply with the requirements of Article 101, Slings under the safety orders addressing cranes and other hoisting equipment.
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['Forklifts and Powered Trucks', 'Materials Handling and Storage']
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