Does your facility have any qualifications of your Forklift/PIT drivers above and beyond getting their training/evaluation every three years? How about we consider the following… In order to qualify to receive your PIT training, an individual MUST meet the following:
- Have corrected vision that meets the same requirements as those for a valid state driver’s license.
- Evidence of meeting this requirement shall be a state driver’s license or a doctor’s certificate.
- Have effective use of all 4 limbs, unless the powered industrial truck has been modified to permit operation with fewer than 4 limbs.
- A prosthetic device is considered a limb when capable of being used to effectively operate the controls.
- Be of a height sufficient to operate the controls and have an unobstructed view over the controls and dashboard.
- Have coordination between eyes, hands, and feet.
- Have freedom from known convulsive disorders and episodes of unconsciousness for a period of 1 year before obtaining a powered industrial truck operator’s permit or a lesser time with the assurance from a neurologist that the disorders or episodes are under control.
- Have the ability to understand signs, labels, and instructions.
I know what you are thinking… HOLY COW BATMAN if I could put these in place without being sued I would do it. But wouldn’t some of these requirements be considered “discrimination”? Now sit down for what I am about to tell you…
These requirements come DIRECTLY from MI-OSHA R 408.12151. Operator selection. Rule 2151. Now we know that state OSHA plans can be more stringent than the federal standards and as a safety professional these make absolute sense to me. But is this going too far?
I am sorry but I cannot help and think about the five year old driving the front-end loader video and then look at the MI-OSHA requirement of “Be of a height sufficient to operate the controls and have an unobstructed view over the controls and dashboard”. I would dare say that no safety professional that watched that video thought to him/herself “damn that kid is better than some of my adult drivers”. I am no proposing we hire 5- year olds to drive our forklifts and I have to admit I like the MI-OSHA requirements, I am just amazed that they have not been challenged in our very litigious society.
What do you think?