Restraint systems on forklifts in the U.S. are required to provide the forklift operator protection from body entrapment in tipover incidents.

Safety Standard for Low Lift and High Lift Trucks, ANSI/ITSDF B56.1-2005, (Reaffirmation of ASME B56.1-2004)

"7.41 Operator Restraint Systems
Counterbalanced, center control, high lift trucks that have a sit-down, non-elevating operator position shall have a restraint device, system, or enclosure that is intended to assist the operator in reducing the risk of entrapment of the operator 's head and/or torso between the truck and ground in the event of a tip-over. Such means shall not unduly restrict the operation of the truck, e.g., the operator's mounting, dismounting, movement, and/or visibility."

OSHA Standard Interpretations: 03/07/1996 - Use of seat belts on powered industrial trucks.

"Question 1: Are seat belts required to be installed on forklift trucks? If so, under what standard and section is this addressed?

Response: OSHA does not have a specific standard that requires the use or installation of seat belts, however, Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) requires employers to protect employees from serious and recognized hazards. Recognition of the hazard of powered industrial truck tipover and the need for the use of an operator restraint system is evidenced by certain requirements for powered industrial trucks at ASME B56.1-1993 - Safety Standard for Low Lift and High Lift Trucks. National consensus standard ASME B56.1-1993 requires that powered industrial trucks manufactured after 1992 must have a restraint device, system, or enclosure that is intended to assist the operator in reducing the risk of entrapment of the operator's head and/or torso between the truck and ground in the event of a tipover. Therefore, OSHA would enforce this standard under Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act."

Seat belts, lap/shoulder belts, and five point devices are restraints that also provide the forklift operator additional protection from forward movement in frontal impact situations. This additional protection is desirable but not currently required.

The five point restraint device would offer the best current belt type protection for forward tipovers or frontal impacts. The five point device holds the operator securely in place from forward/sideward head/body movement and the impact forces imparted are distributed over parts of the body which can better take the impact forces. This device does, however, impair rearward visibility.

Forward tipovers occur with greater frequency with rough terrain construction forklifts, telehandlers, and container handlers due to lifting unknown weight loads or lifts of mismarked weight loads. A better solution to protect the operator from forward tipover might be onboard scale/weighing devices.

Improved safety equipment is nice. The best protection for forklift operators, however, consists of proper training and proper supervision. These are lacking in most forklift operations. Proper supervision cannot be performed unless the supervisors are also properly trained in safe forklift operations. They do not have to be skilled operators but should experience the truck visibility, handling characteristics, difficulty in stacking high loads, time a thorough pre-inspection takes, etc. as well as the basic forklift safe operation materials.

The forklift incidents mentioned in the previous posts could be a lack of proper training. They are more likely, however, the lack of proper supervision.

The purpose of accident investigation is to determine the cause of the incident to make corrections to prevent a similar incident from happening in the future. Improved safety restraint devices will not accomplish this. Adding a five point restraint might better protect the operator, but it would not stop future tipovers or forward impacts which could endanger others who are not protected from the tipover/forward impact.