Materials Handling, Storage, Use, and Disposal
Storage and Clearance
1910.176 requires materials to be stored so they cannot slide, collapse, or otherwise cause injury, with aisles, passageways, and stairways kept clear. Storage must stay 18 inches below sprinkler deflectors and 36 inches below the ceiling in non-sprinklered areas. Compressed gas cylinders are stored upright with valve protection caps in place and secured against tipping; oxygen and fuel-gas cylinders are separated by 20 feet or a barrier at least 5 feet high with a half-hour fire rating.
Powered Industrial Trucks
1910.178(l) requires formal instruction, practical training, and an evaluation of each operator before they operate a truck, with re-evaluation at least every 3 years - and sooner after an accident, near miss, or unsafe operation. Trainees practice only where they will not endanger other employees. No passengers unless a designated seat is provided; travel with the load low and the mast tilted back; never exceed the rated capacity, and account for load center when using attachments.
Slings and Rigging
Slings are inspected before each use and removed from service when damaged; rated capacity is never exceeded. Sling tension rises sharply as the leg angle flattens toward horizontal, so a choker or shallow-angle hitch can overload hardware that looks adequate.
Traps and a Rule of Thumb
Traps: calling forklift evaluation "annual" (the default is every 3 years); mixing up 18 and 36 inches; applying the clearance to the ceiling rather than the sprinkler deflectors; assuming a refresher is never needed between three-year cycles.
Rule of thumb: 18 under the sprinkler, 36 under the ceiling, 20 feet between oxygen and fuel gas.