An Aggressive Advocate, When You Need It Most.

OSHA seeks to change standards for powered industrial trucks

Published on Mar 21, 2019 at 6:31 pm in Firm News, workers' compensation.

Some Pennsylvania drivers of powered industrial trucks may want to contribute a comment to a request for information from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA is considering making a change to its standards, which have only been revised once since they were put into place in 1971. The request was made on March 11 and will remain open until June 10.

The original standards were based on those of the National Fire Protection Association and the American National Standards Institute. Unlike the OSHA standards, those ones have been updated a number of times. For example, ANSI standards requires that training address such issues as the hazards of carbon monoxide and noise exposure. Eight trucks included in NFPA’s standards are not included in OSHA’s.

OSHA is seeking information on a number of specific questions and issues. For example, it is asking what types of trucks are in employer fleets, what types should be included in the standards, whether older equipment should be grandfathered in and how long PITs normally last. It also has questions about whether employer training is superior to that offered by OSHA and what kind of training program is used at work sites. Furthermore, OSHA asks what trucks are involved in what kinds of injuries and incidents and about the effectiveness of NFPA and ANSI standards.

These types of standards are in place to help protect workers. Someone who is injured on the job, regardless of who is at fault, is usually eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. These can cover medical expenses and, in some cases, provide a percentage of wages that are lost during the recovery period. An attorney can often assist with the preparation and submission of the claim and supporting documentation.

Request Attorney Consultation

Call us or fill out the form below to schedule a confidential case evaluation. We can help you determine if you need a lawyer, if you have a potential case, and if so, what your next step should be.

Legal & Firm News

Pennsylvania Car Seat Laws

For over 60 years, motor vehicle crashes were the single leading cause of death for children in the United States. Only in very recent years has firearm injuries overtaken the top place, with car crashes remaining in the leading first or second positions in the past few years of research. Following all Pennsylvania car seat […]

Read More

10 Safety Tips for Your Next Family Outing

Planning a day out for your family? At Stapp Law, LLC, we want everyone to be safe when exploring Williamsport, Lycoming County, or anywhere else in Pennsylvania. That’s why we’ve compiled our top 10 safety tips for your next family outing.

Read More

Who Bears Liability in a Slip and Fall Accident?

Most of us are so focused on completing our task at hand that we don’t take extra time to look for every potential hazard in our path. However, not doing so comes with some downsides, one of which includes the risk of slipping and falling and getting seriously hurt. You may be surprised to learn […]

Read More