OSHA eyes update of powered industrial trucks standard; issues Request for Information

Washington — OSHA is seeking input to aid in a possible update of its powered industrial trucks standard (1910.178), which covers forklifts, fork trucks, tractors, platform lift trucks and motorized hand trucks, among others, according to a Request for Information published in the March 11 Federal Register.

The agency’s powered industrial trucks regulations for the construction, maritime and general industries were “based on industry consensus standards from 1969,” OSHA states in a March 8 press release. The requirements went into effect in 1971, when the agency was established.

OSHA is requesting information on “types, ages and usage of powered industrial trucks; maintenance and retrofitting; how to regulate older powered industrial trucks; types of accidents and injuries associated with operating these machines; costs and benefits of retrofitting the machines with safety features; and other components of a safety program.”

The agency states it will use the information received to “determine what action, if any, it may take to reduce regulatory burdens and create jobs while improving worker safety.”

Comments on the RFI are due by June 10.

The powered industrial trucks standard has been a perennial fixture on OSHA’s annual list of Top 10 most frequently cited violations.