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OSHA ENACTS ENHANCED OPERATOR TRAINING REGULATION
The following press release was issued by the Industrial Truck Association to its members. OSHA ENACTS ENHANCED OPERATOR TRAINING REGULATION 1 December 1998 (Washington, DC) Acting on behalf of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor, Assistant Secretary Charles N. Jeffress today signed a regulation clarifying and defining the requirements for training operators of powered industrial trucks. The regulation expands on 29 CFR 1910.178 which outlines the obligations of employers whose workers operate forklifts and other workplace vehicles. The goal of the new regulation is to give employers the necessary information to ensure that their employees are properly trained in operating these vehicles. Government studies have shown that training reduces the incidence of accidents, in turn reducing the number of deaths and injuries suffered by operators and their fellow workers. Under the prior OSHA regulation, employers were left to their own devices to determine the scope of their training programs. This approach resulted in disputes between OSHA inspectors and employers and a realization that further refinements were needed. Under the new regulation OSHA requires all employers to conduct a triannual evaluation of operators. If an unsafe operation is observed at any time, operators will be cited and training implemented. Employers are required to keep records of their training programs. All new employees must be trained within 90 days of hiring, while employers will have one year to train current employees. Under the OSH act, employers will be responsible for training although they may delegate the actual training to outside contractors. According to Larry Borre (Barrett/ Divi si on of Nissan Forklift of North America), President of the Industrial Truck Association (ITA), the organization representing the manufacturers of industrial trucks and their suppliers, "Dealers, independent trainers, and manufacturers all anticipate a rush for compliance with the new regulation. Because of their unique position in the distribution process, dealers will undoubtedly be asked to shoulder most of the burden for training". William J. Montwieler, Executive Director of ITA, observed: "The issuance of this regulation draws to a successful conclusion Phase One of our effort to be certain that only qualified individuals operate fork lifts. While it has been a slow process, and while we believe the regulation could be significantly strengthened, we recognize the constraints on OSHA's resources. ITA plans to work with employers, dealers, trainers and OSHA to maximize the effectiveness of this regulation. ITA is pleased to have led this effort - saving lives, reducing injuries, minimizing the impact of mistakes is of primary concern. The ripple effects of training operators will benefit everyone." The full text of the new regulation is available from OSHA through its Web site at www.osha.gov.
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