New regulations stiffen training mandates for wholesalers' 191,000 fork lift operators.
Nowadays, of course, much of the heavy lifting is done by fork lifts and conveyor belts. While handling material is considerably easier, there is a dark side. Every year, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, unsafe fork lift operation results in about 100 fatalities and 95,000 injuries. These vehicles harness a lot of power and carry heavy loads. Under the control of careless or poorly trained operators, they are accidents waiting to happen.