Quick Start Guide
Chapter 28: Forklifts and Other Powered Industrial Trucks

New 09/12
URL:  http://www.lbl.gov/ehs/pub3000/CH28.html
Revision Record: http://www.lbl.gov/ehs/pub3000/Pub3000Changes.html

Who needs to know about these requirements?

The Requirements of the Forklifts and Other Powered Industrial Trucks Program apply to:

• Berkeley Lab employees, construction and nonconstruction contractors, vendors and affiliates

Whenever they are:

• Operating a powered industrial truck

Why?

Noncompliance with powered industrial truck requirements can lead to:

• Injury to personnel, including fatalities
• Damage to expensive research equipment, buildings, building components, or the PIT itself
• Additional costs due to delays

What you need to do before performing work:

• Define work/protocols.
• Analyze hazards.  Perform risk-assessment.
• Inspect and document (pre-use) PIT.
• Inspect attachments, rigging, and securing equipment.
• Determine whether the move is high consequence/high value (impact on research or operations is >$500,000).
• Determine the safest path of travel. 
• Develop Controls.
• PIT use is authorized by the PIT manager.
• Ensure operator is properly qualified for the specific PIT being used.
• Verify PIT and attachment load rating; load most not exceed the PIT/attachment rated capacity.
• Develop an Engineering Note for review and signatures by required reviewers for all high-consequence/high-value lifts.
• Contact the LBNL riggers for difficult (heavy or awkward) loads.

Where to find out more:

Berkeley Lab Health and Safety Manual (PUB-3000), Chapter 28, Forklifts and Other Powered Industrial Trucks

Whom to contact for help:

For assistance with PITs, Berkeley Lab employees, construction and nonconstruction subcontractors, vendors, and affiliates should contact the LBNL PIT Safety Subject Matter Expert at ext. 7512