Best Practices for the Management of Powered Industrial Trucks

The purpose of this document is to provide a helpful, consistent guideline for brewers to use when developing their safety programs and policies to comply with OSHA standards. 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 differ. Employers and employees have to work together to ensure a safe workplace. Employers have a duty to perform workplace hazard assessments, develop engineering controls and safe work practices, and provide training and equipment to manage these hazards.

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.

The safety subcommittee and the BA believe the recommendations in this document are appropriate and essential for protecting the health and safety of the craft beer industry’s hardworking, dedicated employees. Working in a brewery presents many inherent dangers and should not be taken lightly. Proper management of hazards in the brewery can prevent serious injury and death.