Labor & Industries (L&I), Washington State

Forklifts and Other Powered Industrial Trucks Chapter 296-863, WAC

Effective Date: 04/01/07

WAC 296-863-400 Operations

For printing

Your Responsibility

To operate your PITs safely

You must

General Operations
Protect employees around PITs	WAC 296-863-40005
Operate PITs safely	WAC 296-863-40010
Make sure PIT loads are carried safely	WAC 296-863-40015
Meet these requirements when the operator leaves the normal operating position	WAC-296-863-40020
Meet these requirements when operating near railroad tracks	WAC 296-863-40025
Special Operations
Meet this requirement when using motorized hand trucks	WAC 296-863-40030
Meet these requirements when using elevators	WAC 296-863-40035
Meet these requirements when using dockboards (bridge plates)	WAC 296-863-40040
Meet these requirements when loading or unloading railroad cars with a PIT	WAC 296-863-40045
Meet these requirements when loading or unloading highway trucks with PITs	WAC 296-863-40050
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fueled PITs
Meet these additional requirements when operating liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fueled PITs	WAC 296-863-40055
Personnel lifting
Make sure work platforms and PITs used to lift people meet these requirements	WAC 296-863-40060
Operate PITs using elevated work platforms safely	WAC 296-863-40065

 

WAC 296-863-40005

Protect employees around PITs

You must

• Make sure operators use restraint devices, such as seatbelts or lap-bars, when they are provided on the PIT.
• Make sure you don't allow people:
  • - Under the elevated part of any PIT, whether it's loaded or empty
  • - To put any part of their body between the uprights of the mast
    or
  • - Outside the running lines of the PIT.
• Make sure you don't allow unauthorized people to ride on PITS.
• Make sure people riding on PITs have a safe place to ride.
• Make sure you don't allow stunt driving or horseplay.
• Make sure PITs aren't driven up to anyone in front of a bench or other fixed object.
• Make sure access to fire aisles, stairways, and fire equipment is kept clear.
• Make sure there's sufficient headroom under overhead installations such as lights, pipes, and sprinkler systems to safely operate PITs.

Reference: PIT operations may cause the airborne concentration levels of carbon monoxide gas to increase. You have to keep the concentration levels below the levels specified in Chapter 296-841 WAC, Respiratory Hazards.

WAC 296-863-40010

Operate PITs safely

You must

• Operate PITs according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Make sure PIT operators do all of the following:
  • - Obey all traffic regulations, including authorized workplace speed limits.
  • - Yield the right of way to ambulances, fire trucks, and other vehicles in emergency situations.
  • - Keep a safe distance of approximately 3 truck lengths from the PIT ahead.
  • - Look in the direction they're going and keep a clear view of their path of travel.
  • - Slow down and sound the horn at cross aisles and other locations where vision is obstructed.
  • - Don't pass other PITs traveling in the same direction at intersections, blind spots, or other dangerous locations.
  • - Keep a safe distance from the edge of ramps or platforms while on any of the following:
    • Elevated docks
    • Elevated platforms
    • Freight cars
• Make sure operators keep PITs under control at all times, including doing all of the following:
  • - Drive at a speed that allows the PIT to be stopped safely
  • - Drive more slowly on wet or slippery floors
  • - Reduce speed to a safe level while turning
  • - Avoid driving over loose objects.

WAC 296-863-40015

Make sure PIT loads are carried safely

You must

• 1) Make sure loads are stable, safe and within the rated load capacity of the PIT.
• 2) Do both of the following when picking up a load:
  • Place the load engaging means under the load as far as possible.
  • Tilt the mast carefully backwards to stabilize the load.
• 3) Make sure not to tilt the load engaging means forward when it's elevated unless:
• Picking up a load
  or
• Depositing a load on a rack or stack.
• 4) Do both of the following when traveling with a load:
  • Keep the load trailing if it obstructs the operator's forward view.
  • Travel with the load upslope when climbing or descending slopes of more than 10 percent.
• 5) Do both of the following when climbing a slope:
  • Tilt the load and load engagement means backwards if necessary to stabilize the load
    and
  • Raise the load and load engagement means only as far as necessary to clear the surface.
• 6) Make sure PITS with attachments are operated as partially loaded trucks, even if they're not carrying a load.

WAC 296-863-40020

Meet these requirements when the operator leaves the normal operating position

You must

• Make sure operators do the following when getting off the PIT:
  • - Fully lower the load engaging means
  • - Neutralize the controls
  • - Set the brakes.
• Make sure operators do the following when leaving a PIT unattended:
  • - Fully lower the load engaging means
  • - Neutralize the controls
  • - Shut off power
  • - Set the brakes
  • - Block the wheels, if parked on an incline.

Note: A PIT is unattended when the operator: - Is more than 25 feet away or - Can't see the PIT.

WAC 296-863-40025

Meet these requirements when operating near railroad tracks

You must

• Make sure PITs are driven diagonally across railroad tracks, whenever possible.
• Make sure PITs are parked 8 feet 6 inches or more from the center of any railroad tracks.

WAC 296-863-40030

Meet this requirement when using motorized hand trucks

You must

• Make sure motorized hand trucks enter elevators and other confining areas with the load end forward.

WAC 296-863-40035

Meet these requirements when using elevators

You must

• Do both of the following when driving PITs onto an elevator:
  • - Approach slowly
  • - Enter the elevator squarely after the elevator car is leveled.
• Do all the following after the PIT is positioned on the elevator:
  • - Neutralize the controls
  • - Shut off the power
  • - Set the brakes.

WAC 296-863-40040

Meet these requirements when using dockboards (bridge plates)

You must

• Make sure dockboards aren't overloaded:
  • - Make sure they're strong enough to carry the load imposed on them.
  • - Make sure loads don't exceed the dockboard's rated capacity.
• Do the following when using dockboards:
  • - Drive slowly and carefully over dockboards.
  • - Properly secure dockboards before driving on them.
• Make sure powered dockboards meet the design and construction requirements of U.S. Department of Commerce Commercial Standard CS 202-56 (1961) Industrial Lifts and Hinged Loading Ramps.
• Do the following when using portable dockboards:
  • - Use anchors or other devices that will prevent slipping.
  • - Make sure they have handholds or other effective means for safe handling.

WAC 296-863-40045

Meet these requirements when loading or unloading railroad cars with a PIT

You must

• Check the railroad car flooring for breaks or weakness before driving on it.
• Set the brakes and use wheel stops or other recognized positive protection to keep railcars from moving:
  • - During loading or unloading operations
    or
  • - While dockboards (bridge plates) are in position.
• Meet these requirements when using PITs to open or close freight car doors:
  • - The PIT has to have an approved device specifically designed to open and close doors.
  • - The device has to be designed so that force will be applied to the door parallel to door travel.
  • - The PIT operator has to be trained to use the device and have full view of the operation.
  • - People must be kept clear while the door is being moved.

WAC 296-863-40050

Meet these requirements when loading or unloading highway trucks with PITs

You must

• Check the truck or trailer flooring for breaks or weakness before driving on it.
• Prevent movement of trucks or trailers during loading or unloading by:
  • - Setting the brakes
    and
  • - Chocking or blocking the wheels.

Exemption: You can use mechanical means instead of wheel chocks or blocks to secure the trailer to the loading dock. Wheel chocks or blocks aren't required when: - The mechanical means prevents the trailer from moving away from the dock. - The mechanical equipment is used and maintained as recommended by the manufacturer. - Damaged mechanical equipment is immediately removed from service.

Note: You may need to use fixed jacks to keep a semi-trailer that's not coupled to a tractor from up ending during loading or unloading.

WAC 296-863-40055

Meet these additional requirements when operating liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fueled PITs

You must

• Make sure you don't park PITs near:
  • - Sources of heat, open flames, or similar ignition sources
    or
  • - Open pits, such as service pits, that don't have adequate ventilation.
• Make sure PITs stored inside a garage don't have:
  • - A leak in the fuel system
  • - Fuel containers filled beyond the maximum filling capacity.

Reference: See WAC 296-24-47505(12), Storage and handling of liquefied petroleum gases, for maximum filling capacities.

WAC 296-863-40060

Make sure work platforms and PITs used to lift people meet these requirements

You must

• Make sure work platforms:
  • - Are securely fastened to the lifting carriage or forks
  • - Have standard guardrails and toeboards on all sides.
• Guard the area between the platform and the PIT mast to prevent employee contact with chains or other shear points.
• Make sure PITs used to elevate a work platform have a lift mechanism that can't drop faster than 135 feet per minute in the event of a system failure.
• Make sure the lifting carriage or forks are prevented from tilting.

Note: Examples of how this may be accomplished are the use of: - A control lever that prevents the inadvertent movement or - Use of a strap or other device to hold the control lever in position.

You must

• Make sure PITs with controls (vertical only, or horizontal and vertical) that can be elevated with the lifting carriage or forks, have a way for people on the platform to shut off power to the PIT.

Note: You can find the minimum requirements for standard railings of various types of construction in WAC 296-24-75011, Railings, toeboards and cover specifications.

WAC 296-863-40065

Operate PITs using elevated work platforms safely

You must

• Make sure the PIT operator:
  • - Is attending the lift equipment when workers are on the platform
  • - Is in the normal operating position while raising or lowering the platform.

Note: A PIT is unattended when the operator: - Is more than 25 feet away or - Can't see the PIT.

You must

• Make sure the operator does not move the PIT from one point to another while workers are on the platform.
  • - The operator may inch or maneuver the PIT at very low speed with workers on the platform.