Industrial Truck Safety Standards Available Online

March 1, 2006
The Industrial Truck Standards Development Foundation (ITSDF) has launched a new website that allows anyone to download the B56 Series Industrial Truck

The Industrial Truck Standards Development Foundation (ITSDF) has launched a new website that allows anyone to download the B56 Series Industrial Truck standards.

“The implementation of the website gives everyone an opportunity to download the most recent ANSI/ITSDF technical standards dealing with forklift trucks and associated equipment,” said ITSDF board president William Montwieler. The foundation and website development was funded by the Industrial Truck Association (ITA).

“ITA has committed itself and its resources to achieving the widest possible use of safety standards in our industry. The association hopes that everyone will take advantage of this opportunity to make sure that operators and employers have the latest information on the safe use of forklift trucks.”

In addition to the public areas, the website has a members-only section that will reportedly streamline the communication and development of new standards.

The following standards—including all relevant interpretations and errata—are now available:

ANSI/ITSDF B56.1 - 2005, Safety Standard for Low and High Lift Trucks: This Standard defines the safety requirements relating to the elements of design, operation, and maintenance of low lift and high lift powered industrial trucks controlled by a riding or walking operator, and intended for use on compacted, improved surfaces.

ANSI/ITSDF B56.5 - 2005, Safety Standard for Guided Industrial Vehicles and Automated Functions of Manned Industrial Vehicles: This Standard defines the safety requirements relating to the elements of design, operation, and maintenance of powered, not mechanically restrained, unmanned automatic guided vehicles for industrial use. This Standard applies to guided industrial vehicles in automatic mode of operation in nonrestricted areas. Portions of this Standard, when designated, also apply to semi-automatic, manual, and maintenance modes and restricted areas of vehicle operation. This Standard does not apply to passenger carrying vehicles.

ANSI/ITSDF B56.6 - 2005, Safety Standard for Rough Terrain Forklift Trucks: This Standard defines the safety requirements relating to the elements of design, operation, and maintenance of rough terrain forklift trucks. These trucks are intended for operation on unimproved natural terrain as well as the disturbed terrain of construction sites.

ANSI/ITSDF B56.8 - 2005, Safety Standard for Personnel and Burden Carriers: This standard defines safety requirements relating to the elements of design, operation, and of powered personnel and burden carriers having three or more wheels, a maximum speed not exceeding 35 mph (56 kmph), and a load capacity not exceeding 10,000 lb (4536kg). This standard does not include vehicles intended primarily for earth moving or over-the-road hauling, or un-manned automatic guided vehicles.

ANSI/ITSDF B56.9 - 2005, Safety Standard for Operator Controlled Industrial Tow Tractors: This Standard defines the safety requirements relating to the elements of design, operation, and maintenance of operator controlled industrial tow tractors up to and including 15,000 lb (66,750 N) maximum rated drawbar pull.

ANSI/ITSDF B56.10 - 2005, Safety Standard for Manually Propelled High Lift Industrial Trucks: This Standard defines the safety requirements relating to the elements of design, operation, and maintenance of manually propelled high lift industrial trucks controlled by a walking operator, and intended for use on level, improved surfaces.

ANSI/ITSDF B56.11.1 - 2005, Double Race or Bi-Level Swivel and Rigid Industrial Casters: This standard establishes dimensional standards for double race or bi-level swivel and rigid industrial casters in order to provide for the overall interchangeability of a complete caster.

ANSI/ITSDF B56.11.4 - 2005, Hook-Type Forks and Fork Carriers for Powered Industrial Forklift Trucks: The scope of this Standard encompasses standards relative to hook-type fork carriers and the attaching elements of fork arms and load handling attachments for forklift trucks, in relation to manufacturers' rated capacities of trucks up to and including 11,000 kg (24,000 lb).

ANSI/ITSDF B56.11.5 - 2005, Measurements of Sound Emitted by Low Lift, High Lift and Rough Terrain Powered Industrial Vehicles: This Standard establishes the conditions, test procedures, environment, and instrumentation for the determination and reporting of the A-weighted sound pressure level of electric battery and internal combustion engine powered, low lift, high lift, and rough terrain industrial trucks. It excludes earthmoving machinery, industrial cranes, and vehicles intended primarily for use on public roads. It provides test procedures for measuring both operator and bystander exposure to sound produced by the trucks. The test procedures set forth in this Standard provide the basis for determining the contribution powered industrial trucks make to the overall sound level of a selected work area.

ANSI/ITSDF B56.11.6 - 2005, Evaluation of Visibility from Powered Industrial Trucks: This Standard establishes the conditions, procedures, equipment, and acceptability criteria for evaluating visibility from powered industrial trucks. It applies to internal combustion engine powered and electric high lift, counterbalanced, sit-down rider industrial trucks up to and including 10,000 kg (22,000 lb) capacity. inspection, testing, and acceptance, thereby fostering universal use of export pallets in international commerce with minimal restrictions.

ANSI/ITSDF B56.11.7 - 2005, Liquid Propane Gas (LPG) Fuel Cylinders (Horizontal or Vertical) Mounting - Liquid Withdrawal - For Powered Industrial Trucks: This Standard establishes dimensions for LPG fuel cylinders used on powered industrial trucks.

Source: Industrial Truck Standards Development Foundation