The powered industrial trucks (PIT) standard (29 CFR 1910.178) is the most commonly cited standard throughout the material handling industries. Most fatalities occur when a worker is crushed by a forklift that has overturned or fallen from a loading dock. The following is an overview of the regulations, training requirements, and other resources:

• Loading and Unloading Overview
  


• OSHA Compliance
  


• Training Requirements
  


• General Hazard References
  


• Industry Specific Hazards

Loading and Unloading Overview

PITs, or forklifts, are used in numerous work settings, primarily to load and unload materials. Forklift overturns are the leading cause of fatalities involving forklifts and they represent about 25% of all forklift-related deaths. The case studies examined by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) indicate that the forklift, the factory environment, and actions of the operator can all contribute to fatal incidents involving forklifts. In addition, these fatalities indicate that many employees and employers are not using or may be unaware of safety procedures and the proper use of forklifts to reduce the risk of injury and death.

For additional information on this fatality data, see:

• Preventing Injuries and Deaths of Workers Who Operate or Work Near Forklifts. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-109, (2001, June).

OSHA Compliance

Standards

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

• 1910.176, Handling materials - general. Contains requirements for use of mechanical equipment, materials storage, load clearances, etc.
  


• 1910.178, Powered industrial trucks
  • Powered Industrial Trucks. Final Rules 68:32637-32638, (2003, June 2). States that 29 CFR 1910.178(m)(12) is unenforceable by OSHA. This technical amendment deletes a Powered Industrial Trucks Standard covering the use of powered industrial trucks to lift personnel. It is being deleted because it was invalidly promulgated from a non-mandatory provision of a national consensus standard. Because it is unenforceable, OSHA is removing that provision, 29 CFR 1910.178(m)(12), from the Powered Industrial Trucks Standard. Note that OSHA is removing all of paragraph (m)(12), including its subordinate paragraphs (m)(12)(i) through (m)(12)(iii). This amendment becomes effective July 2, 2003.

Shipyard Employment (29 CFR 1915)

• 1915.120, Powered industrial truck operator training

Marine Terminals (29 CFR 1917)

• 1917.1, Scope and applicability
  


• 1917.17, Railroad facilities. Paragraphs (i) and (j) state restrictions for using industrial trucks for opening railcar doors
  


• 1917.24, Carbon monoxide
  


• 1917.27, Personnel. Includes qualifications required for machinery operators.

Longshoring (29 CFR 1918)

• 1918.25, Bridge plates and ramps (See also 1918.86)
  


• 1918.65, Mechanically-powered vehicles used aboard vessels
  


• 1918.67, Notifying the ship's officers before using certain equipment
  


• 1918.83, Stowed cargo; tiering and breaking down
  


• 1918.85, Containerized cargo operations
  


• 1918.86, Roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) operations (See also 1918.2and 1918.25)
  


• 1918.89, Handling hazardous cargo (See also 1918.2 and 1918.99)

Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)

• 1926.602, Material handling equipment. Includes requirements for powered industrial trucks.

For additional information, see the OSHA Standards, Frequently Cited OSHA Standards, and Other Federal Standards sections.

For further information on industry standards, see the National Consensus Standards section.

Directives

• Compliance Assistance for the Powered Industrial Truck Operator Training Standards. CPL 02-01-028 [CPL 2-1.28A], (2000, November 30).
  


• Chocking of Tractor Trailer under the Powered Industrial Truck Standard. CPL 02-01-030 [CPL 2-1.30], (1999, October 19). Establishes policy to ensure proper enforcement of 29 CFR 1910.178(k)(1) and 29 CFR 1910.178(m)(7).
  


• Logging Operations, Inspection Procedures and Interpretive Guidance Including Twelve Previously Stayed Provisions. CPL 02-01-022 [CPL 2-1.22], (1996, September 27). Clarifies the use of overhead guards for forklifts.
  


• Electrical Safety-Related Work Practices -- Inspection Procedures and Interpretation Guidelines. STD 01-16-007 [STD 1-16.7], (1991, July 1). States that employees using industrial trucks under overhead lines must be trained on the electrical hazards involved.
  


• 29 CFR 1910.178(k)(1) and (m)(7): Mechanical Means to Secure Trucks or Trailers to a Loading Dock. STD 01-11-007 [STD 1-11.7], (1981, August 5). Allows the use of mechanical means to secure trucks or trailers to a loading dock in situations where they provide the equivalent protection of wheel chocks.
  


• 29 CFR 1910.178(m)(6) Powered Industrial Trucks; Truck Operations. STD 01-11-003 [STD 1-11.3], (1978, October 30). Provides guidelines on citing 29 CFR 1910.178(m)(6) when trucks use a door opening device for opening or closing railroad freight car doors.
  


• Search all available directives.

Standard Interpretations

• Host employers may require site-specific forklift training of visiting workers. (1999, October 28). Indicates that employers are entitled to require that persons who operate power pallet jacks at its worksite have a greater degree of training than is required by the regulation and that they be trained specifically in the equipment and conditions at its worksite.
  


• Trailer trucks must be restrained/chocked during forklift dock operations. (1998, March 4). Indicates employers must have some system to make sure that truck drivers do not pull away while powered industrial trucks are loading or unloading.
  


• Cross-view back-up mirrors on delivery trucks. (1997, January 24). Indicates that OSHA has no specific regulations requiring the installation of "cross-view" mirrors on delivery vehicles.
  


• Enforcement of the Use of Seat Belts on Powered Industrial Trucks in General Industry. (1996, October 9). Indicates that employers are obligated to require operators of powered industrial trucks which are equipped with operator restraint devices or seat belts to use the devices.
  


• Use of seat belts on powered industrial trucks. (1996, March 7). Indicates that OSHA recognizes the hazard of powered industrial truck tipover and the need for the use of an operator restraint system under the General Duty Clause.
  


• Search all available standard interpretations.

Training Requirements

• 29 CFR 1910.178, Powered industrial trucks. OSHA Standard. Includes specific training requirements for forklift operators who load and unload trucks.
  


• Host employers may require site-specific forklift training of visiting workers. OSHA Standard Interpretation, (1999, October 28). Indicates that employers are entitled to require that persons who operate power pallet jacks at its worksite have a greater degree of training than is required by the regulation and that they be trained specifically in the equipment and conditions at its worksite.

General Hazard References

• Material Handling and Storage [559 KB PDF^*, 41 pages]. OSHA Publication 2236, (2002).
  


• Frequently Asked Questions: Powered Industrial Trucks. OSHA.
  


• For additional information, see OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Pages on:
  • Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)
  • Compressed Gas and Equipment
  • Diesel Exhaust
  • Electrical
  • Ergonomics
  • Grain Handling
  • Hazard Communication
  • Hazardous and Toxic Substances
  • Injury and Illness Prevention Programs
  • Maritime Industry
  • Medical and First Aid
  • Motor Vehicle Safety
  • OSHA Injury and Illness Recordkeeping
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
  • Process Safety Management
  • Respiratory Protection
  • Ventilation
  • Walking/Working Surfaces

Industry Specific Hazards

Airline

• Baggage Handling. OSHA eTool. Describes many of the common hazards associated with the baggage handling process and provides possible solutions that are ranked according to their feasibility to the operations.

Beverage Delivery

• Beverage Delivery. OSHA eTool.

Construction

• Construction. OSHA eTool. Contains information that helps workers identify and control the hazards that cause the most serious construction-related injuries. A Spanish translation of this eTool is also available.

Grocery Warehousing

• Grocery Warehousing. OSHA eTool. Describes example ergonomic hazards and solutions related to Order Picking, which accounts for a large number of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

Logging

• Logging. OSHA eTool. Provide expert assistance for businesses and workers seeking to comply with OSHA's logging standard. Logging procedures are examined, OSHA regulations explained, and links are provided to the specific sections of the standard.

Maritime

• Shipyard Employment: Ship Repair. OSHA eTool. Addresses the entire 1915 regulation as it pertains to Ship Repair which includes activities such as altering, converting, installing, cleaning, painting, and maintaining vessels.
  


• Maritime Industry. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
  


• Longshoring Industry. OSHA Publication 2232, (2001). Also available as a 480 KB PDF, 291 pages. Contains all the safety and health standards concerning the marine terminal and longshoring industries, as contained in 29 CFR 1917 and 29 CFR 1918), as of June 30, 2000.
  


• Longshoring and Marine Terminals: Hazard Abatement Summaries. OSHA, (2002, October).

Meat Packing

• Poultry Processing Industry. OSHA eTool. Focuses on identifying and controlling major hazards that contributed to the high rates of injuries found in a recent OSHA Survey of the industry. Other serious hazards are also discussed. Examples used in this advisor are from the processing of chickens, but may be applicable to other bird processing.
  • Warehousing

Oil and Well Gas Drilling and Servicing

• Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing. OSHA eTool. Contains an illustrated guide describing potential hazards and their possible solutions.

Railroad

• 29 CFR 1910.178(m)(6) Powered Industrial Trucks; Truck Operations. OSHA Directive STD 01-11-003 [STD 1-11.3], (1978, October 30). Provides guidelines on citing 29 CFR 1910.178(m)(6) when trucks use a door opening device for opening or closing railroad freight car doors.

Wood Products

• Wood Products: Sawmills. OSHA eTool. Provides information on topics such as lumber storage, log handling, and plant-wide hazards.
  


• Wood Products: Woodworking. OSHA eTool. Provides information on topics such as assembly, production, and shipping.

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