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New Safety Resource Addresses Use of Powered Industrial Trucks

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Damon Scott started homebrewing while finishing a degree in chemistry from Hanover College, In. That unofficial ‘independent research’ led to a lightbulb moment and a move to Colorado to work as a brewer. In the following ten years, Damon managed brewing operations ranging from 200 to nearly 10,000 bbls/year and experienced first-hand the challenges craft brewers face daily. In 2010, he attended Heriot-Watt University and received an MSc in Brewing and Distilling. As technical brewing projects coordinator for the Brewers Association, Damon works with the technical committee to facilitate the development of best practice guidance for small and independent craft brewers.

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The Brewers Association (BA) has released a new resource developed by the safety subcommittee. Best Practices for the Management of Powered Industrial Trucks provides a helpful, consistent guideline for brewers to use when developing their safety programs and policies regarding the use of powered industrial trucks, including forklifts. This document is based on Federal OSHA requirements. If your state has an OSHA-approved state plan, you should review any state-specific requirements that may be applicable, as well.

The recommendations in this document are based on the experiences and expertise of BA Safety Subcommittee members, contributing BA members, best practices utilized in environments with hazards similar to those found in breweries and other resources including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), trade journals and safety professionals. It is not itself a regulation, but is designed to lead breweries towards the development of their own standard operating procedures (SOPs) in order to comply with OSHA standards.

This new technical resource will be discussed during a Power Hour, on Thursday, September 29th. Tony McCrimmon, OHST and BA safety subcommittee member and Reva Golden, safety subcommittee co-chair, will outline how this guide can help breweries understand, develop and implement an effective plan for the management of powered industrial trucks in the workplace. They will also discuss training program requirements, safe operating practices, hazard assessments and more.