PIT design standard

The long-awaited OSHA proposal to update the design and construction requirements for its powered industrial trucks (PIT) standards has arrived. The rule, if finalized, would impact general industry and construction fork trucks, tractors, platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks, and other specialized industrial trucks powered by an electric motor or an internal combustion engine.

On February 16, OSHA proposed to update 1910.178 and 1926.602 by adding references to the latest design and construction requirements published by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in conjunction with the Industrial Truck Standards Development Foundation (ITSDF). These include ANSI/ITSDF B56.1-2020, B56.5-2019, and B56.6-2021. The proposal is part of a larger project to update consensus standards incorporated by reference.

However, to reduce the need for OSHA to keep updating the references, the agency is also proposing alternative methods of compliance for existing and future equipment. In other words, an employer could simply demonstrate that the truck they use was designed and constructed in a manner that provides employee protection that is “at least as effective as” the ANSI/ITSDF standards incorporated by reference in OSHA’s regulations.

Comments are due by May 1 at regulations.gov. Search for Docket No. OSHA-2020-0008.