National Forklift

Forklift Safety Workplace Poster

Promote safe forklift operation and powered industrial truck awareness with the Forklift Safety Workplace Poster. This 11 x 17-inch safety poster provides employees with a convenient visual reminder of important forklift operating, maintenance, and workplace safety practices.

Forklifts and other powered industrial trucks are widely used to move, raise, lower, and transport materials. Safe operation requires trained operators, properly maintained equipment, awareness of pedestrians, and attention to workplace conditions that can affect forklift stability and safety.

What Are Common Forklift Safety Hazards?

Forklift hazards can vary depending on the type of powered industrial truck and the workplace where it is operated. Common hazards can include:

• Collisions with pedestrians or other equipment
• Forklift tip-overs
• Falling or unstable loads
• Operating near loading docks and platform edges
• Traveling on ramps or sloped surfaces
• Operating in narrow aisles or restricted areas
• Obstructed visibility while carrying loads
• Unsafe loading and unloading practices
• Mechanical problems or poorly maintained equipment
• Improper operation by untrained personnel

OSHA Forklift Operator Training Requirements

OSHA regulates forklifts and other powered industrial trucks under 29 CFR 1910.178. Employers must ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is competent to operate the equipment safely and has successfully completed the required training and evaluation before operating the truck independently.

OSHA forklift operator training must include a combination of formal instruction, practical training, and an evaluation of the operator's performance in the workplace. Training must address applicable truck-related topics as well as workplace-specific hazards.

Forklift Refresher Training and Evaluations

Refresher training is required in certain circumstances, including when an operator has been observed operating a forklift unsafely, has been involved in an accident or near-miss, is assigned to a different type of truck, or when workplace conditions change in a way that could affect safe operation.

OSHA also requires an evaluation of each powered industrial truck operator's performance at least once every three years.

Safe Forklift Operating Practices

Employees who operate or work around forklifts should follow established workplace procedures and remain alert to surrounding hazards. Important forklift safety practices include:

• Allow only trained and authorized employees to operate forklifts
• Follow operating instructions and workplace safety procedures
• Inspect equipment and report unsafe conditions or defects
• Watch for pedestrians and other workplace traffic
• Maintain appropriate visibility while traveling
• Operate carefully around loading docks, ramps, aisles, and restricted areas
• Keep unauthorized personnel from riding on powered industrial trucks
• Never allow anyone to stand or pass beneath an elevated portion of a forklift
• Handle loads according to the truck's capacity and operating requirements
• Remove unsafe equipment from service when required

Forklift Inspections and Maintenance

Forklift safety includes keeping powered industrial trucks in safe operating condition. Operators should follow established inspection procedures and report problems such as defective brakes, steering problems, fluid leaks, unusual noises, damaged components, or other unsafe conditions.

Forklifts that are unsafe for operation should be removed from service until the condition has been corrected in accordance with applicable safety requirements.

Pedestrian Safety Around Forklifts

Employees working near forklifts can also be exposed to serious hazards. Operators should remain aware of pedestrian traffic, use appropriate warning devices, maintain visibility, and follow workplace traffic procedures designed to separate employees from moving equipment whenever practical.

Pedestrians should remain alert when working around powered industrial trucks and follow established workplace rules for designated walkways, intersections, loading areas, and other locations where forklifts operate.

Where Can a Forklift Safety Poster Be Used?

The Forklift Safety Workplace Poster can help reinforce employee safety awareness in workplaces such as:

• Warehouses and distribution centers
• Manufacturing facilities
• Shipping and receiving departments
• Loading docks
• Retail stockrooms and fulfillment operations
• Industrial facilities
• Construction and maintenance operations
• Material-handling and storage areas

Is a Forklift Safety Poster Required by OSHA?

OSHA requires employers to comply with applicable powered industrial truck safety standards, including operator training and evaluation requirements. However, this particular Forklift Safety Workplace Poster is intended as a supplemental employee safety and awareness resource and should not be represented as a universally required OSHA posting.

The poster can be used to reinforce an employer's forklift safety program, but it does not replace required operator training, practical instruction, workplace evaluations, equipment inspections, operating procedures, or other requirements under OSHA's powered industrial truck standards.

Forklift Safety Poster Specifications

• 11"W x 17"H
• Portrait orientation
• Printed in full color
• Laminated with high-quality laminate

Workplace Safety and Compliance Resources

Labor Law Compliance Center provides employers with labor law posters, workplace safety posters, specialty postings, and compliance resources for businesses throughout the United States. Explore our additional workplace safety materials to help reinforce employee training and maintain an informed workplace.