Is it mandatory that seat belts are worn when operating fork lift trucks? I am having an issue whereby employees won't wear them as they are in and out of them so often. I know that if the Health and Safety Aurhority were to come into the factory they would expect them to be worn, same as if I was having my OHSAS 18001 Audit. 

The risk of injury can be high where I work, due to the high racking and heavy items in place and unfortunately items have fallen in the past. Where is the information regarding this, all I can find is 'if restraits are fitted they should be worn'. 

Thanks. 

Thank you NBBeacock, exactly my thoughts but I did wonder was there an alternative. 

I suppose it simply comes down to the safety culture and changing old habits. 

The risks to your FLT drivers are heavy falling objects from high racking whilst you are asking about mandatory seatbelts.

ACoP L117 Rider-operated Lift Trucks item 105 page 21 madates the use (where fitted) of seat belts.

It also talks about appropriate falling object protection structures, which linked with a well designed and correctly loaded racking system should be contemplated for the risks you describe.

We dont enforce the use of seatbelts within our warehouse unless an RA indicates so, but we do enforce it at all times while outdoors.

we took that decission based on HSG76 and risk assessments

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pUbns/priced/hsg76.pdf

Operator restraint

391 Operator restraint should be worn at all times when lift trucks are in motion unless, subject to risk assessment: ■ the lift truck operator needs to dismount repeatedly and frequently (eg to position loads on the forks or check stock levels); ■ the truck is used on a smooth, firm, level surface (eg concrete floor); or ​​​​​​​■ the truck is unlikely to be operated at speeds or in ways that could cause overturn due to the nature of the operations being carried out and the area in which it is working.

At the local newbuild site, they drive around in front loaders, telehandlers and dumpers, on the public highway, with no seating restraints used...they are fitted. I can no longer be bothered to worry.

Originally Posted by: aud

Could NNBeacock quote what specific law is being broken please? "Yes, if a seatbelt is fitted the FLT operator is breaking the law by not wearing it..."

Not sure how seatbelt wearing relates to the risk from falling objects, or was it two questions?

Hi, As a qualified instructor we use PUWER 1998 as the specific legality for the use of seat belts. L117 is purley an ACoP with guidance on how to interpret the law. Even on flat, smooth, level surfaces I could not 100% say than any type of FLT doesn't have the potential to tip over as 100% of this would be down to how the LT is being operated. As a "Competant" operator of an LT with 30years experience which has changed a lot over the years, I can say that wearing a seat belt should be promoted as a life saver. The problem with telling an operator that if they are only moving one pallet and getting on and off the LT they don't need to put the seat belt on is that could be the one single lift that results in an accident. Whenever I use a LT (Which granted is not as much as I have in the past) I am very careful to make sure that I operate the LT as if I am on a test with seat belt fastened etc,etc. If I don't set that example I might as well let people do as they like. Countless fatalities occured last year which could have been avoided if the LT operators had worn aseat belt, not that I know the cases inside out but I would imagine some were "quick on and off" monouvres.

Sorry if this turned into a bit of a rant but I am quite passionate about LT safety after some things that I have seen.

In Ireland, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, Section 13 (1) (g)  (general duty of employees) states "having regard to his or her training and the instructions given by his or her employer, (employees must) make correct use of any article or substance provided for use by the employee at work or for the protection of his or her safety, health and welfare at work, including protective clothing or equipment"

I always interpret this to mean safety belts on vehicles and apply it as such.

We had our FLTs seatbelt buckles wired to the ignition system, no belt, no go. A couple of operators tried sitting on top of the belts but a written warning soon sorted that out.

 Applying RA and IITS wasn't persuasive enough ...

Originally Posted by: Kate

I'm all in favour of seat belts being used but I don't recall any regulation in PUWER that states "forklift drivers shall wear seat belts".  The ACoP / guidance is exactly the thing to look at because it does mention seat belts.

If you look through Regulation 27 it specifically refers to seat belts on lift trucks and the ACoP, there are also mentions on safety belts and seat belts in Reg 25 and 26 which could be applied.

Also SNS,

 We went through the same and ended up issuing warnings, more from the old "I have always do it like this brigade" some of which had been driving for less years than me.

And as JohnW has pointed out, L117 says that where seat belts are fitted they "should" be used.  "Should" is not the same as "must" (as I remember came up in a thread here a while back).

Of course it may well be company policy that they "must".

PUWER just does not say that forklift drivers are committing an offence by not wearing a seat belt.

No argument from me against making use of seat belts mandatory!

And where there is specific legislation such as driving cars on the public highway please remember an individual can be medically excused from the legal requirement - We had an FLT driver with medical exemption from seatbelt wearing.

"

The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) primary guidance on the safe operation of trucks in the workplace is the ‘Rider-operated lift trucks: Operator Training and Safe Use, Approved Code of Practice (L117)’.

The guidance states that ‘In 2002 the fitting of an operator restraining system, such as a seat belt, became a legal requirement for lift trucks. For older trucks, a restraining system should be retro-fitted if there is a risk of the vehicle overturning and where the operator may be trapped between the truck and the ground.’ It continues: ‘that where restraining systems are fitted, they should be used and that covering the risks of not wearing a seat belt must be covered in lift truck training.’ "

http://www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk/features/buckle-up-your-seatbelts-for-safer-forklift-truck-use

I agree with Brian's comments, and it is worth adding that if a seat belt is not worn the question would be "Did the employer tell drivers to wear seat belts?"  If the answer to that is "no" then it is the employer that would be at risk of prosecution - not the drivers!

It is the employer, not the law, that puts requirements on forklift drivers to wear seat belts.   A driver who doesn't wear a seat belt is (if the employer has got this right) in breach of the employer's instructions, not of the law.