This comment just rubbed me the wrong way...

[MicaelS]

42. You are full of crap. People are killed driving forklifts.

They can kill others. If think driving a 'lift is a piece of cake, you're wrong. You have to have a forklift license to drive a 'lift. You have to be certified on each TYPE of 'lift in order to drive it safely.

Forklifts weigh much more than cars or trucks. They have to in order to be able to move heavy loads. They operate differently from cars or trucks. You have to mindful all the time driving one, in order not to cause damage to equipment or injury to your co-workers or yourself.

I have had a 'lift license for over 12 years. I know how dangerous they can be. Fortunately no one has ever been killed or serious injured in our facility.

http://www.toolboxtopics.com/Gen%20Industry/Forklift%20Fatalities.htm

FORKLIFT FATALITIES

OSHA estimates forklifts cause about 85 fatal accidents per year; 34,900 accidents result in serious injury; and 61,800 are classified as non-serious. According to the Industrial Truck Association, there are about 855,900 forklifts in the U.S. Therefore, over 11% of all forklifts will be involved in some type of accident each year (assuming only one accident per forklift).

The ITA also reports that the useful life of a lift truck is about 8 years. This means that about 90% of all forklifts will be involved in some type of accident during their useful life--again assuming only one accident per forklift. If you operate this equipment, there is a possibility that you may have an accident at some point during your career. To help reduce the possibility of being injured, it's important to understand where and how these accidents occur.

Studies show that many of these accidents could have been prevented by better training. No one starts out with the innate knowledge, skills, and abilities to safely operate a forklift. As OSHA requires, drivers must be properly trained to do so. The lesson to be learned is, operating a forklift without training is dangerous and can even be fatal to you or other employees working in the area..

Training can also prevent or reduce the severity of an accident related to the stability of a lift truck traveling with an elevated load. Keep the load as low as possible to increase vehicle stability and to help prevent tip-over accidents. Even if drivers ignore this rule, and the vehicle tips over, injuries are usually minor if they stay with the vehicle instead of jumping off. The normal tendency is for a person to jump downward, so the driver lands on the floor or ground--usually directly into the path of the overhead guard. The most common result is a crushing injury to the head, neck, or back where the overhead guard strikes the employee.

http://ohsonline.com/articles/2013/09/01/death-by-forklift-is-really-the-pits.aspx

Death by Forklift is Really the PITs

By Chuck Paulausky
Sep 01, 2013

The owner of a machinery and equipment training school was killed while filming a forklift safety video. He was thrown from the forklift and crushed. The investigation revealed the fatality was due to driver error, high speed over rough terrain, and an unused seat belt. Unfortunately, this type of forklift fatality is all too common. OSHA statistics indicate that there are roughly 85 forklift fatalities and 34,900 serious injuries each year, with 42 percent of the forklift fatalities from the operator's being crushed by a tipping vehicle.

OSHA has established detailed regulations for operation of "powered industrial trucks," which include all types of material-handling vehicles, from forktrucks to powered pallet jacks to order-pickers. The Powered Industrial Truck (PIT) regulations can be found at 29 CFR 1910.178. Incorporated into the regulation by reference, ANSI B56.1-1969 covers the design and construction requirements for PITs.

The OSHA regulation provides specific designations for PITs based on the type of power source and safeguards. In addition, "designated locations" are identified, such as hazardous atmospheres. The regulation also covers a variety of other topics, including operation, maintenance, and regular, documented inspections of the vehicles. One critical part of the regulation covers operator training.

PITs can be especially unforgiving under the wrong conditions. Operators need to understand that PITs are very different from regular vehicles in the way they maneuver and are balanced. Employees who have never driven a PIT will not have the innate knowledge and skill to drive one without training. For this reason, much of the required training is focused on operation, load capacity, stability, and operating limitations.

More at link.