Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts) Stats and Facts

FACTS

1. The most common PIT hazards include improper use; blind spots; unsecured, uneven and/or overloaded materials; improper maintenance; dock and ramp inclines; fueling; speed; pedestrians; attachment hazards; overhead obstructions and hazards; seat belts and tethers; and floor/terrain surface conditions.
2. In the rough terrain category, the most common PIT hazards include slopes, dips, holes, trenches, restricted access, and ground and overhead obstructions.
3. Common PIT incidents include: rollovers, tip-overs, collisions and loss or damage to materials or equipment.
4. The main causes of forklift accidents fall into three risk categories: user error, work environment, and mechanical design. Inadequately trained personnel are responsible for a significant portion of forklift accidents.

STATS

OSHA Research

• 96,000 workers are injured per year due to forklifts.
• 11% of forklifts will be involved in an accident.
• 70% of all forklift accidents could be avoided with proper training and policy.
• For the year 2020, OSHA reported that forklifts were the source of 78 work-related deaths and 7,290 nonfatal injuries involving days away from work. Statistics reveal that an average of 7,243 forklift incidents occur annually.
• For the year 2020, OSHA reported issuing 1,932 violations under the PIT regulation. Of those, the leading violations included unsafe operation; failure to provide refresher training; missing or inadequate operator certification; failure to remove unsafe trucks from service; and no pre-operation inspection.
• Forklift accidents cause roughly 34,900 serious injuries and 85 fatal accidents every year. 25 % of these accidents are the result of inadequate training