Purpose:
To ensure the safety of employees while operating powered lift trucks through the establishment of minimum operational requirements. Also, to comply with the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSH) Standard section 1910.178, ”Powered Industrial Trucks.”

Scope:
These minimum operating procedures apply to all departments and employees within the University and UIHC that operate forklift trucks or motorized hand trucks as defined by IOSH 1910.178.

Training and Certification to Operate Requirement:
Only trained and certified operators are permitted to operate a powered industrial truck.

Training of operators has two parts. The first is the generic formal training and the second is the actual performance evaluation for certification of the truck that will be used in the field.

Part one, generic formal training will be conducted by the Facilities Services Group Training Center. Contact Mark Minor-Nidey at 335-6290 to schedule training times. (A fee per employee will be charged to the department.)

Part two, the performance evaluation for certification in the field on the actual truck(s) used for university departments will be conducted by Mark Minor-Nidey.  Contact Mark at 335-6290 to arrange for performance evaluation certification. (A fee per employee will be charged to the department.)

For hospital departments the performance evaluation will be done by Eric Briesemeister for hospital safety and security office.  Contact Eric Briesemeister at 356-0839 to arrange for a time.

Refresher Training and Certification:
Refresher training and performance evaluations in the field is required every two years. Refresher training is also required if the operator:

1. Has been observed to operate a truck in an unsafe manner;

2. Has been involved in an accident or near-miss incident;

3. Has received an evaluation that reveals that the operator is not operating the truck safely;

4. Is assigned to drive a different type of truck; or

5. Conditions in the workplace change in a manner that could affect safe operation of the truck.

Record keeping:
Records on training and performance certification done by Facilities Services Group will be maintained by the Training Center.  Departments can receive copies of these records by contacting the Training Center.

Maintenance of Industrial Trucks:

1. Any power-operated industrial truck not in safe operating condition must be removed from service.  
    Authorized personnel must make all repairs.

2. Industrial truck(s) must be examined routinely to ensure that its condition is safe for operation.  
    Trucks used on a daily basis must be examined prior to use each day.    
    Trucks used on a multiple shift basis must be examined prior to the shift.  
    Trucks used infrequently must be examined prior to each usage.

Additional Information

OSHA Regulation
OSHA Information

HPO Home Page
UI Home Page

Updated May 13, 2003