Atlas Blog

Forklifts or powered industrial trucks are used to move materials in many different industries. They can raise, lower, or move large heavy objects. These lift trucks are often used to move pallets full of crates or boxes as well. Before choosing any forklift for sale in Illinois, there are many considerations regarding design, stability, and safety, not to mention the proper function and installation of lift truck parts.

According to a report by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), every year there are about 95,000 people injured while operating forklifts, and another 100 people who die from serious injuries. The vast majority of these accidents were due to improper operation and forklift turnovers.

Compared to all industries nationally, warehousing has a higher average injury rate. About 100 workers are killed every year while operating forklifts and 95,000 are injured.¹ Employees are also often injured with manual lifting/handling, materials storage, and from poor hazard communication or poorly maintained equipment such as cushion forklift tires. All workers with forklift jobs in Chicago must consider the training guidelines of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Keeping up with standards and protocols set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) can seem daunting. Now, manufacturers and even small businesses are being asked to maintain cybersecurity compliance as well. How can you keep up? Partnering with companies who can help provide necessary training while also offering “train the trainer” programs to make sure you’ve got someone in-house who can provide education to new employees is a good place to start.

Operating a forklift requires specialized training, and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has very clear requirements for forklift operator training and licensing. Forklift operators must be older than 18 years old and must go through classroom training and pass a driving test. Because the rules are very specific, we’ve compiled a list of answers to frequently asked questions about forklift operation.