LPG forklift

Introduction/Purpose

State/Federal regulations and industry standards govern the occupational use of Forklifts and Powered Industrial Lifts Trucks (FLs/PILTs). The University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) has developed a FL/PILT Safety Program to support the safe and legal operation of FLs/PILTs on UCSB-controlled facilities.

Regulatory and UCSB requirements for equipment procurement, equipment selection, operator training/certification, site hazard evaluation, pre-operation inspection, equipment operation, equipment inspection, and equipment maintenance are described in the UCSB FL/PILT Written Program.

Applicability

The UCSB FL/PILT Safety Program applies to UCSB departments that rent/lease/own and operate FLs/PILTs including Department Heads, Principal Investigators, Responsible Persons, Certified Operators, and EH&S.

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Training/Certification

State law requires operator training/certification for each class of FL/PILT that includes a combination of formal classroom instruction, written examination, and an operator performance evaluation. Practical exercises are performed under the supervision of experienced trainers in a controlled environment to preclude endangering the trainee or other employees. A certificate of training is issued upon completion of the course. For further information and training resources, please review the FL/PILT Written Program and contact EH&S Industrial Safety at ehs-industrialsafety@ucsb.edu.

 

gas/diesel forklift

Note: UCSB employees and contractors are not permitted to operate university owned or rented FLs/PILTs prior to successfully completing a certification training program, regardless of previous experience or certification. Trainees/operators must be at least 18 years of age and hold a valid driver’s license.

electric forklift

Roles and Responsibilities

Department Heads and Chairs must:

  • Ensure owner department compliance with the requirements of this program.
  • Identify FL/PILT Responsible Person(s)(RPs) and ensure they have the knowledge, skill, and authority to carry out the responsibilities listed below.
  • Identify FLs/PILTs under their purview that fall under the requirements of this program.
  • Provide necessary resources to ensure the health and safety of their employees.

FL/PILT Equipment Responsible Persons must:

  • Understand and comply with UCSB FL/PILT Program requirements including referenced regulatory requirements and industry standards.
  • Support owner department procurement of FLs/PILTs that will safely operate in the work environment with the anticipated maximum load capacity required.
  • Understand equipment inspection and maintenance frequencies and ensure they are performed by a Qualified Person and meet regulatory requirements and manufacturer specifications.
  • Designate qualified equipment operators and maintain an equipment-specific and up-to-date operator roster to monitor training and certification needs.
  • Ensure Training/Qualification/Retraining of new personnel or existing certified operators within required timeframes in coordination with EH&S Industrial Safety or an EH&S-approved 3rd-party training vendor.
  • Verify training and equipment-specific certification for outside department use of FLs/PILTs under purview.
  • Identify and mitigate hazards encountered during operation or while observing certified operators performing work and update hazard identification/control and PPE assessment tools.
  • Maintain Department FL/PILT safety records including operator training/certification records, pre-operation inspection records, qualified person inspection/maintenance records, lockout/tagout records, and hazard identification/control forms.
  • Notify EH&S Program Administrator of changes in equipment and ensure equipment not previously approved by the EH&S Program Administrator is reviewed and approved prior to purchase, lease, rental, or operation.
  • Notify EH&S program Administrator of equipment not included in inspections or EH&S inventory.
  • Ensure site hazard evaluations and pre-operation inspections are completed before each use.  
  • Maintain and utilize up-to-date hazard identification/control tools (i.e. SOPs/JHAs, or equivalent).
  • Conduct documented equipment-specific personal protective equipment (PPE) assessments for all equipment operators.
  • Maintain a written equipment-specific lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedure for all FLs/PILTs under purview.
  • Ensure equipment that has not been properly inspected, maintained, is unsafe to operate, or lacks available certified operators is removed from service using documented LOTO procedures.
  • Ensure manufacturer manuals are maintained with the FL/PILT (or promptly ordered and added) and data plates and vendor labeling are legible and accurate.
  • Ensure FL/PILT-mounted fire extinguishers are included in the Facilities Management Life Safety Program for regular inspection and maintenance.

Certified FL/PILT Operators Must:

  • Understand and comply with all FL/PILT Safety Program requirements.
  • Notify their Supervisor, the Equipment RP, or the EH&S Program Administrator about any hazardous conditions observed.
  • Only operate the class of FL/PILT trained and certified to operate.
  • Perform documented pre-operation inspections prior to equipment use and notify RP if equipment selection is insufficient or creates a potential safe operation hazard or load rating exceedance.
  • Operate FLs/PILTs in accordance with instruction and training provided by the certification process through EH&S or an EH&S-approved 3rd-party training vendor.  
  • Inform the RP, Supervisor, EH&S Program Administrator, or Human Resources if taking medication or have any other conditions or concerns that could result in unsafe operation.
  • Immediately report identified, observed, or suspected malfunctioning of equipment to the RP, Supervisor, or the EH&S Program Administrator.
  • Do not disassemble, modify, or otherwise alter FLs/PILTs in any way.

The EH&S Program Administrator will:

  • Develop and maintain the UCSB FL/PILT Safety Program and ensure it meets applicable regulatory and UCSB requirements.
  • Designate an individual who is qualified by appropriate training and/or experience to administer the program.
  • Communicate requirements, objectives, and program changes to Department Heads and RPs impacted by this program.
  • Monitor Department program records during routine inspections and ensure they are retained for the appropriate amount of time.
  • Conduct regular program audits to ensure the program is being properly implemented and assess overall program effectiveness.
  • Conduct periodic “customer service” inquiries to learn how the program can be modified to better meet owner department needs.
  • Review new equipment purchases/rentals/leases to identify equipment covered by this program.
  • Keep an accurate and up to date inventory of campus FLs/PILTs based on information provided by the department or RP during routine inspections.