TD On your second point, he who pays the piper calls the tune! LB

I can't shed a lot of light on either, aside from that there appears to be no mention of seat belts in L117 and only one mention of seat belts in HSE HSG6, which says "..seat belts should be worn whenever there is a risk of injury due to overturning"

We had a similar issue recently, some drivers saying they were told they didn't have to wear other saying they did. I decided to check with our insurance company and the manufacture guidelines. The latter was little use but our insurance came back and stated "It is a condition of the insurance covering the FLT that the seat belt must be worn at all time when the FLT is in use" So that's that for us

See the following link and Regs 26 & 27 of PUWER http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/misc241.pdf

The requirement to provide ROPS on mobile plant created the hazard of the operator being thrown off and crushed between the ROPS and the ground in the event of an overturn. Thus Reg 26(2) of PUWER required the provision of a suitable restraining system. This requirement is further qualified in Reg 26(3) to forklifts (and tractors) such that the requirement for seat restraints does not apply where the forklift cannot roll more than on its side and has a structure that gives sufficient clearance in such an overturn. As a mast forklift on flat ground cannot roll more than on its side, and where the operator is protected by an enclosed cab, then a seat belt is not required. (Similarly, with a cabbed tractor on level ground.) However, if it is conceivable that a forklift would be used on steep ground (very unlikely) where a multiple roll could occur to a cabbed machine, then a seat restraint must be worn as the cab doors can fly open in the event of a multiple roll (similarly with cabbed tractors working on sloping ground). I would not expect a 16 tonne forklift to be working in a situation where a multiple roll is possible and thus if protected by an enclosed cab, then a seatbelt is not required. If, however, the cab door is removed, or secured open, then a seatbelt must be worn. At the moment, there are some pretty large forklifts and telehandlers loading sugarbeet into cleaner loaders and wagons, and where working on level ground with cabs then no seatbelts, where opensided or no cab doors, or working on steep slopes (most unlikely - bad forward planning) then seatbelts must be worn.

I have investigated three forklift fatalities in my career, and about a dozen serious forklift incidents. In my jurisdiction, forklifts built after about 1992-ish must be equipped with a seat belt (ANSI B56.1). If they are, the operator MUST wear it-no exceptions. In all three of those fatals the operators were not wearing the seat belt. Here, I cannot recall seeing a large capacity lift truck (e.g. 10,000 Kg.) not equipped with a seat belt, even though the operator sits in a fully enclosed cab. As has been mentioned, the probability of a larger machine tipping over is significantly less that the typical 5,000 to 6,000 lb. capacity sit-down counterbalance machine used in warehouses everywhere. Having said that, an unrestrained operator in an enclosed cab is still susceptible to serious injuries being tossed about if and when that machine does go over.... Just my 2 cents from across the pond....