On February 16, 2022, OSHA published a proposed rule that would update the design and manufacturing standards for powered industrial trucks used in general industry and construction. The current rules at 29 CFR 1910.178(a) and 29 CFR 1926.602(c) refer to standards developed in 1969 by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The proposal would require powered industrial trucks manufactured on or after the effective date of the (yet to be published) final rule to comply with current consensus standards, or a more protective alternative. Since 2005, the consensus standards for powered industrial trucks have been set by the Industrial Truck Standards Development Foundation (ITSDF), which is accredited by ANSI. The ANSI/ITSDF standards for powered industrial trucks are now split into three sections: Low Lift and High Lift Trucks (B56.1-2020); Guided Industrial Vehicles (B56.5-2019); and Rough Terrain Forklift Trucks (B56.6-2021). For trucks manufactured before the effective date of the rule, OSHA expects employers to be able demonstrate that the trucks comply with the 1969 standards or a more protective alternative.
Tips: Comments on the proposal are due by May 17, 2022. The proposal doesn’t affect OSHA’s existing rules requiring employers to comply with the 1969 ANSI standards (B56.1-1969) related to stability, inspection, testing, maintenance, and operation of powered industrial trucks. If you need help training your employees to safely operate powered industrial trucks, ask your Vigilant safety professional about our “train the trainer” forklift training.
