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.
