Frequently Asked Questions
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Certification & Licensing of Operators
Certification & Licensing of Trainers
OSHA & ANSI Standards
License Cards
Seat Belts
Hand Signals
Are license cards required for forklift truck operators?
There is no requirement in the OSHA or ANSI Standards for operators to carry a license card while operating a powered industrial truck.
The documentation requirement as stated in OSHA 1910.178 (l)(6) is, "The certification shall include the name of the operator, the date of the training, the date of the evaluation, and the identity of the person(s) performing the training or evaluation."
The documentation requirement as stated in ANSI B56.1 is simply, "Appropriate records shall be kept."
Both of these are understood to mean that each employer must maintain a list of their employees and the dates that they were trained and evaluated.
We do supply plastic credit card style license cards as evidence of completion of training.
I understand that the operator of a forklift truck is required to wear the seat belt but I cannot find this requirement in OSHA Standard 1910.178. Where is this requirement stated?
The seat belt requirement is stated in ANSI B56.1 paragraph 5.3.19 and is made part of the OSHA Standard by way of OSHA 1910.6 (a)(1) which states:
"The standards of agencies of the U.S. Government, and organizations which are not agencies of the U.S. Government which are incorporated by reference in this part, have the same force and effect as other standards in this part. Only the mandatory provisions (i.e., provisions containing the word "shall" or other mandatory language) of standards incorporated by reference are adopted as standards under the Occupational Safety and Health Act."
ANSI B56.1 is one of the Standards that is listed and "incorporated by reference".
Hand signals used by the spotter to direct the forklift operator for positioning the forks or attachment for load placement or pickup.