Industrial Lift Truck Use Within Public Right of Way in Rebuild Areas

INDUSTRIAL LIFT TRUCK USE WITHIN PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY

Additional information regarding the Santa Rosa rebuilding effort available online: SRCity.org/rebuild SonomaCountyRecovers.org

Industrial Lift Truck Use Within Public Right of Way in Rebuild Areas SUMMARY: With an increase in rebuilding activity, comes an increase in construction equipment operating within the right of way. To help manage construction traffic and ensure the safety of workers and residents who have repopulated their neighborhoods, encroachment permits will be required for use of lift trucks within the right of way beginning June 1, 2019.

LIFT TRUCK DEFINITION: Any mobile power-propelled truck used to carry, push, pull, lift, stack or tier materials; can be ridden or controlled by walking operator; also known as forklifts, fork trucks, lift trucks, grade-alls.

BACKGROUND: Industrial lift trucks are being used throughout the rebuild areas by many builders to move, lift, stack or tier home construction materials such as lumber, sheet rock, roofing, windows, sidings and rock. Builders or framing subcontractors constructing more than one home may use lift trucks to transport materials through City streets. The number of lift trucks operating within City streets is anticipated to increase as the number of permitted homes under construction grows. To address the anticipated increase in usage, the City has recently developed a policy designed to ensure that lift trucks are operated in the safest manner possible. The heavy use of lift trucks within open and active public streets is unique to the rebuilding areas and the policy is intended to apply only to the rebuilding areas.

NEW REQUIREMENT: An encroachment permit will be required for the use of a lift truck within any public street. Permit requirements do not apply to lift truck activity on private property. Encroachment permits will include conditions requiring the implementation of safety protocols intended to protect workers, adjacent new homeowners and members of the community traveling through the rebuild areas. Encroachment permits will include conditions requiring the permittee to comply with all applicable standards set forth by the State of California’s Division of Occupational Health (Cal/OSHA). Lift truck safety standards require employers to develop and implement training programs based on the general principles of safe truck operation, the types of vehicles being used in the workplace, the hazards of the workplace created by the use of the vehicles, and the general safety requirements of the Cal/OSHA standard. Trained operators must know how to do the job properly and do it safely as demonstrated by workplace evaluation. Formal (lecture, video, etc.) and practical (demonstration and practical exercises) training must be provided. Employers must also certify that each operator has received the training and evaluate each operator at least once every three years.

Prior to operating the truck in the workplace, the employer must evaluate the operator’s performance and determine the operator to be competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely. Refresher training is needed whenever an operator demonstrates a deficiency in the safe operation of the truck.

Lift truck encroachment permits will require signage on both sides of the vehicle clearly identifying the company utilizing the equipment for the rebuilding operation. Signage will allow the City’s inspection team to clearly identify permit compliance. Permit conditions will also require a list of the qualified personnel operating the equipment. Contractors operating without the appropriate permit will be required to park equipment in a safe location until a permit is obtained. Multiple violations under the policy may result in a fine. The cost of a lift truck encroachment permit will be $128. A single permit will be issued to a builder to cover all lift trucks under the individual builder’s guidance.

Encroachment permits will be required starting June 1, 2019.