Powered industrial trucks (PIT) program

1.0 Purpose and Scope

Microsoft established this Powered Industrial Truck (PIT) Program for compliance with applicable regulations such as OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178, Powered Industrial Trucks. Additional state and local regulations may also apply. Implementation of this program is intended to protect Microsoft employees and its external staff from hazards associated with the use of PITs.

This program applies to all Microsoft employees, external staff, contractors and vendors with operations that require the use, servicing, or maintenance of PITs. PITs have the potential to cause severe workplace injuries. Applicable regulations specify operator training requirements, inspection and maintenance processes, and design requirements intended to protect the worker and the workplace.

2.0 Program Requirements

2.1 Powered Industrial Truck (PIT) Procedures

2.1.1 Written Powered Industrial Truck Plan

The Plan Administrator must develop a Site-specific PIT Plan (Site Plan). The Site Plan must be made available to any personnel potentially affected by the procedure, including employees, external staff, or regulatory agency personnel. The Site Plan must include the following:

Program purpose and scope.
Personnel roles and responsibilities. A Plan Administrator must be designated to oversee implementation of the Site Plan.
Documented procedures to ensure PITs comply with all federal, state, and local rules and regulations.
Definitions of terms critical for understanding the program, or those terms not commonly understood.
General safety rules.
PPE requirements.
Description of hazards and risk assessments.
Training records.
Incident investigations for all accidents, incidents, and near-miss incidents related to the use of PITs.

2.1.2 Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment is an evaluation of health and safety hazards in a work task and determining the likelihood of personnel injury or property damage resulting from those hazards. These analyses will usually include:

Interviewing supervisors, employees, and external staff.
Observing work practices.
Reviewing supporting documents that may include applicable regulations and guidelines and SOPs.
Conducting air and/or surface sampling, where occupational exposure limits are in question or as otherwise necessary.
Engaging process experts to review the tasks and develop safe work practices for operation and maintenance.
Creating an inventory of all PITs and manual material handling equipment such as pallet jacks, dollies, and hydraulic elevating carts.

The Plan Administrator will provide recommendations of appropriate engineering controls, administrative controls, work practices, PPE, or corrective action items. Supervisors must notify the Plan Administrator when:

Changes are made to job processes that present additional hazards. Audit corrective action items have been completed.

A PIT Inventory Form is included in Appendix B.

2.2 General Procedures

2.2.1 PIT Designations and Location Classifications

The Industrial Truck Association (ITA) has developed seven designations for PITs that have been adopted by OSHA.
The designation of the PIT must be suitable for the location classification in which it will be operating.
There are four classifications of location in which a PIT may operate:
Class I: Areas where flammable gases or vapors are or may present in the air in quantities sufficient to produce explosive or ignitable mixtures.
Class II: Areas where the presence of combustible dust could be sufficient to produce an explosion.
Class III: Areas where the presence of easily ignitable fibers are suspended in the air but are not in sufficient quantities to produce ignitable mixtures.
Unclassified: Location not possessing atmospheres as described in Class I, II, or III.

2.2.2 Design Specifications

PITs must meet the design and construction requirements in ANSI/ITSDF B56.12005: Safety Standard for Low Lift and High Lift Trucks.
Approved PITs must bear a label or other identifying mark indicating approval by the testing laboratory.
PITs are required to be equipped with the following safeguards:
Manufacturer’s operating instructions.
Overhead guards.
Vertical load backrests.
Seat belts.
Operator-controlled horn.
Back-up alarm.
Lights.

2.2.3 Modifications

OSHA does not permit the modification of a PIT, or creation of a customized attachment without written authorization of the manufacturer.
No modifications or alterations to a PIT that may affect the capacity, stability, or safe operation of the truck will be made without the prior written approval of the PIT manufacturer.
When the PIT manufacturer approves a modification or alteration, appropriate changes must be made to capacity plates, decals, tags, and operation and maintenance manuals.
PITs utilizing front-end attachments other than forks (fork extensions, barrel clamps, slip sheets, side shifters, carton clamps, paper roll handlers, rotors, etc.) must have the attachment and associated lifting capacity identified on the capacity plate.

2.3 Hazards

The safe operation of PITs depends on understanding the equipment’s capabilities, limitations, and associated hazards. Improper use of a PIT, reckless operation, lack of attention to surroundings, and misuse can lead to serious accidents. The Site Plan should address common hazards and ensure procedures are in place to control hazards and prevent related accidents. Common hazards include:

Starting, stopping, and turning too quickly.
Driving or turning with elevated loads.
Improperly loading materials onto the forks or front-end attachment.
Picking loads that are outside the PIT’s capacity.
Operating PITs around pedestrians or other PITs.
Backing.
Operating outside, on ramps, or on inclines.
Operating on docks and entering trailers.

2.3.1 Elevating Personnel

PITs are not designed to elevate personnel and are prohibited from this type of activity.
Aerial work platforms (AWP) or ladders should be used to elevate personnel, not PITs.
When the use of an AWP is not feasible, front-end attachments are available; however, they must meet the specifications outlined in ANSI B56.1-7.35.

For more information on AWPs, please reference the Microsoft Aerial Work Platforms Program. For more information on ladder use, please reference the Microsoft Ladder Safey Program.

2.4 Charging/Fueling

Specific fueling procedures must be established and followed for each type of PIT fuel source.
Fueling safety precautions listed in the manufacturer’s instructions must be observed.
LPG cylinders must be inspected for evidence of damage (e.g., corrosion, gouges, exposure to fire) prior to connecting to the PIT.
A specified fueling area should be established and the area should be free of any ignition sources.
Battery charging areas must be equipped with
A means of flushing and neutralizing spilled electrolyte.
Fire protection equipment.
Safeguards to protect charging apparatus from damage.
Equipment for moving and installing batteries.
Adequate ventilation to disperse vapors emitted from batteries while charging.
Proper PPE must be worn when fueling PITs.

2.5 Personal Protective Equipment

PPE selection is the responsibility of the employer and is determined by risk assessment. Areas or tasks may be noted where PPE should be used if engineering and administrative controls are not feasible or do not sufficiently protect the employees from hazards. For more information, please reference the Microsoft Personal Protective Equipment Program.

2.6 Inspections and Maintenance

All PITs must be maintained in safe operating condition by routine inspections, regularly scheduled maintenance, and timely repairs.

2.6.1 Daily Pre-Use Inspections

All PITs are required to be inspected daily before being placed into use.
When the equipment is used on a round-the-clock basis, inspections must be conducted prior to the start of each shift.
Operators should evaluate the condition of the following:
Safety equipment (seat belts, horns, back-up alarms, lights, etc.)
Forks and attachments
Operating controls (steering, lifting mechanisms, brakes, clutch, etc.)
Fuel sources (fuel tanks and hoses, battery charge, etc.)
Daily pre-use and pre-shift inspections must be documented, and records kept for review by the Plan Administrator.
For operations where PITs are used by multiple employers, each employer should document their inspections according to the guidelines established in the Site Plan.
Noted deficiencies in the equipment should be document according to the Site Plan and shared with all organizations utilizing the equipment.
Deficiencies that render the equipment inoperable must be reported to the organization responsible for maintenance and the PIT taken out of service immediately until the necessary repairs are made.

A sample Pre-Use Inspection Form has been included in Appendix C.

2.6.2 Maintenance

Operation of PITs may be hazardous if maintenance is neglected or repairs, rebuilds, or adjustments are not performed in accordance with the manufacturer’s design criteria.

A preventative maintenance schedule should be established and followed in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Only trained and authorized persons are permitted to maintain, repair, adjust, and inspect PITs.
Maintenance schedules should be documented as defined in the Site Plan and records kept for review by the Plan Administrator.
For operations where PITs are used by multiple employers, the Site Plan should document the organization responsible for maintenance.
Maintenance records must be made available to any organization utilizing the equipment.

2.7 Training

Each location must ensure that employees, external staff, and contractors are trained and authorized to operate PITs.
A copy of the Site Plan should be provided to external staff to ensure the elements of the Site Plan are followed.
Managers or supervisors must ensure operators are competent to safely operate the specific type (designation) of equipment to which they are assigned.
Competency must be demonstrated by the successful completion of both the classroom training and practical on-the-job training.
Prior to permitting an employee to operate a PIT, except for training purposes outlined below, the Plan Administrator should ensure that each operator has successfully completed the all required training.

Microsoft OHS has defined training to meet regulatory requirements for PIT. To obtain training, contact Microsoft OHS at Global OHS.

2.7.1 Training Requirements

All training and evaluation must be performed under the direct supervision of a competent person who has the knowledge, training, and experience to train operators and evaluate their competence.
The classroom/theory portion of the training should consist of a combination of formal instruction techniques (e.g., lecture, discussion, interactive computer learning, video tape, written material).
Operators must pass a written test as part of their formal instruction in order to become certified.
Practical on-the-job training consists of demonstrations performed by the trainer and practical exercises performed by the trainee. Trainees may then operate PITs only where such operation does not endanger the trainee or other employees.
Operators must go through the practical evaluation process for each type of equipment they will be certified to operate.

For more information on required training topics, please reference Appendix D.

2.7.2 Frequency of Training

Training and evaluation of each PIT operator’s performance must be conducted prior to the employee operating the PIT and every three years thereafter.
Operators must be retrained and/or evaluated if any of the following occur:
The operator is involved in an incident or near-miss.
The operator has been observed operating in an unsafe manner.
The operator is assigned to a different type of PIT.
The evaluator has determined the operator requires additional training.
There are changes in the workplace that may affect safe PIT operations such as construction, paving, reconfiguration of the workplace, etc.

2.8 Certification

The certification must include the name of the operator, the date of the training, the date of the evaluation, and the identity of the person(s) performing the training or evaluation.
Operators are expected to retain a copy of their certification card and have it available when working.
Documentation of the operator’s training and evaluation dates, including the trainer’s name, must be maintained in the operator’s personnel file.

2.9 Audits

The Site Plan must be audited annually and updated as needed to correct identified deficiencies. The Plan Administrators must also review any past incidents that occurred since the previous audit.

Managers and supervisors should be consulted about program improvement opportunities and be involved in implementation of needed compliance improvements. The Site Plan should be updated as needed to reflect compliance improvements resulting from the annual audit.

2.10 Incident Investigation

Incident investigations are initiatied upon receiving reports. To foster a culture of health and safety at Microsoft, employees, interns, and external staff are required to report all work-related accidents, injuries, and illnesses via SafetyHub Report. Learn more on the Global OHS  reporting  page. 

3.0 Records

At Microsoft, data and documents are retained in compliance with the retention times set out in our Corporate Retention Schedule.

4.0 Roles and Responsibilities

Stakeholders for each Microsoft Facility or Business Group are responsible for implementing the requirements established by the Global OHS Program that are necessary for Microsoft to meet its regulatory requirements.


Global OHS Team and Environmental Compliance Group	Define minimum OHS program and training requirements. Provide consultation to local program administrators as needed. Define investigation and documentation requirements for serious incidents. Provide training tools to local Plan Administrators. Facilitate periodic review of OHS program documents.
Business Group and/or Local Executives	Provide sincere, visible, proactive leadership. Ensure adequate funding, support, and staffing for OHS program implementation. Understand and implement applicable regulatory requirements. Ensure managers are held accountable to implement the Microsoft OHS programs.
People Manager or Supervisor	Implement and enforce all provisions of the PPE program for work areas under their control. Prohibit employees from performing work without the use of the correct PPE when it is required. Ensure that all contractors or vendors working with Microsoft-owned equipment or in Microsoft facilities are informed of and adhere to the PPE program. Provide proper cleaning and storage areas for required PPE. Report all workplace injuries, unsafe conditions, and near-mishap incidents to Microsoft OHS. Provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) specified for the hazard as defined in the risk assessment for the task. Comply with necessary documentation requirements, as described in this document.
Plan Administrator or Business Unit Support	Facilitate consistent implementation of the PPE Program. Oversees implementation of Federal, State, and local regulatory requirements. Provides consultation to managers and employees in the selection of appropriate PPE. Coordinates medical surveillance for qualifying employees and external staff. Coordinates medical surveillance examinations, as needed. Facilitate sampling and monitoring to characterize potential work area exposures. Facilitate periodic safety audits in areas where PPE is required. Audits will be used to document regulatory compliance and recommend actions to correct conditions of non-compliance. Provides required Safety and Health training resources for supervisors and employees. Investigate and document all reported incidents and/or near misses. Generates and maintains the Site Plan and reviews those plans at least annually. Ensures employees have proper PPE available for use. Posts required signage, as necessary.
Microsoft Employees	Understand and follow the requirements in this document. Take reasonable care not to put themselves or others at risk during their work. Inform their supervisor or the Plan Administrator of any circumstance that might affect their ability to work safely. Escalate to Global OHS, if appropriate Report all workplace injuries, illnesses, unsafe conditions, and near-misses as soon as possible. Complete all safety training requirements and comply with documentation procedures
External Staff	External staff who do not receive day-to-day supervision from a Microsoft FTE and who perform work activities covered by this Program are required to include necessary procedures in their safety plans. These procedures must conform to the requirements of this document and the specifics of the Site/Business Group Plan. External staff who receive day-to-day supervision from a Microsoft FTE must follow the requirements of Employees (see above).

5.0 Definitions

The following terms are used in this document. The definitions below are used in the scope of this document but local regulatory definitions override if there is a conflict.

American National Standards Institute (ANSI): An institute that oversees the creation, promulgation, and use of thousands of guidelines and standards that directly impact businesses through quality and assessing conformance to standards.

Authorized Person: One to whom the authority and responsibility to perform a specific assignment has been given by the employer.

Approved: Listed or approved by a nationally recognized testing laboratory or a federal agency that issues approvals for equipment such as the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA); the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); Department of Transportation; or U.S. Coast Guard, which issue approvals for such equipment.
Classified Location or Hazardous Location: Areas that could be hazardous because of explosive or flammable atmospheres.

Designations: A code used to indicate the different types of PITs, their fuel type, and safety features. The designation limits which type of location in which the PIT can be safely operated.

Front-end Attachment: A device that is attached to the forks or lifting device of the truck.
Industrial Truck Association (ITA): An organization representing manufacturers of lift trucks, tow tractors, rough terrain vehicles, hand pallet trucks, and automated guided vehicles and their suppliers who do business in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG): Any gas that has been compressed to liquid form for storage and that is composed predominantly of the following hydrocarbons: propane, propylene, normal butane, iso-butane, butylene, and mixtures of these.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): An international nonprofit organization focused on reducing the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): The federal agency responsible for developing and enforcing regulations related to health and safety in the workplace, establishing enforceable chemical exposure limits, and setting minimum standards for workplace health and safety. OSHA is part of the United States Department of Labor.

Pallet Jack: A device designed to easily move heavy objects from one place to another, with two adjustable-width forks (controlled by a hydraulic arm) that slide underneath a pallet and lift it into the air. Pallet jacks are either manual or electrically powered.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Clothing and other work accessories worn by an individual to create a barrier against workplace hazards. Examples include safety glasses or goggles, respirators, hard hats, hearing protection, gloves, impermeable or fire-retardant clothing, and protective boots.

Powered Industrial Truck (PIT): A mobile, power-driven vehicle used to carry, push, pull, lift, stack, or tier material.
Rough Terrain Forklift Truck: A truck intended to be used on unimproved natural terrain and at construction sites.

6.0 References

6.1 Microsoft Internal References

Microsoft, Accident Prevention Program
Microsoft Vendor Code of Conduct
Microsoft Employee Safety Incident Reporting and Investigation Procedure
Microsoft Exposure Assessment Program
Microsoft Personal Protective Equipment Program
Microsoft Ladder Safety Program
Microsoft Aerial Work Platforms Program

6.2 External References

OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.178, Powered Industrial Trucks
Washington, WAC 296-836, Forklifts and Other Powered Industrial Trucks
California, 8 CCR 3649-3669, Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Haulage Vehicles, and Other Earthmoving Equipment
ANSI B56.1, Safety Standard for Low Lift and High Lift Trucks
NFPA 58, Storage and Handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gases
NFPA 505, Fire Safety Standard for Powered Industrial Trucks Including Type Designations, Areas of Use, Conversions, Maintenance, and Operations

Appendix A: Sample Powered Industrial Truck Site Plan Outline

Microsoft managers may use this outline to produce a written Site Plan for PITs under their control. The Site Plan must be tailored to identify or comply with the following:

Federal, state, or local regulations governing PIT at the facility location.
Equipment covered under their program.
Employees or external staff covered under their program.

Managers must make the Site Plan available to employees, external staff, and corporate or regulatory compliance officers.

Purpose

State the purpose of the plan (ensure that personnel who must operate, maintain or service PITs are apprised of the requirements, limitations, and exceptions to the program).

Scope

Describe the area or facility-specific operations that fall under this plan (e.g. warehouse operations, convention set-ups/breakdowns, etc.).

Regulations

A list of any applicable federal, state, and local regulations must be included here. For example, in the United States, federal regulations for PIT fall under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178, Powered Industrial Trucks. However, individual states or local municipalities may have additional requirements.

Roles and Responsibilities

Personnel with responsibility for oversight or implementation of the Site Plan must be identified here. This list should include the names of specific individuals, job titles, and a summary of their role and area of responsibility.

Definitions

The Site Plan must include definitions. However, additional definitions may be required based on applicable regulations, or activities that take place at the site.

Workplace Survey and Risk Assessment

Summarize the workplace survey and risk assessment results at the workplace. This summary can be presented as a table for easy reference. Be sure that the summary allows the reader to easily identify the referenced machine, equipment, or process on the workplace floor. This can be done by including photographs or floor maps in the document.

Powered Industrial Truck Procedures
This section must include the rules or requirements for the use of PITs. This section must describe step-by-step procedures for operating, inspecting, maintaining PITs, and any activity restrictions.

Examples of items that need to be outlined in this section may include:

The different types of PITs used on the site.
The hazards associated with each type of PIT and how to mitigate the hazards.
Safe work practices.
Personal protective equipment.
Inspection guidelines.
Maintenance guidelines.

Powered Industrial Truck Inventory

A PIT inventory should be included which identifies all PITs at the facility and the location where they are stored. The inventory may also include information on the person or organization to which the equipment is assigned, if a permanent assignment is made. Refer to Appendix B for a sample Powered Industrial Truck Inventory.

Training

Information on training frequency and site-specific training content must be incorporated in this section.

Inspections

All PITs must be inspected daily before being placed into service.

Audits

Annual audits of each established Site Plan must be performed to assess its effectiveness. Audit documentation must be retained onsite. Following the audit, training and other corrective actions must be taken as necessary.

Incident investigations

Incident investigations should be performed for all accidents, incidents, and near-miss that were directly or indirectly related to PITs. All incident investigations will be conducted by trained individuals using established investigation methods.

Appendix B: Sample Powered Industrial Truck Inventory Form

Type of equipment	Class	Lift Code	Make	Model	Serial No.

Appendix C: Sample Equipment Specific Energy Control Procedure

Forklift Pre-Use Inspection Checklist
Operator:		Supervisor:
Unit Type:		Model:
Unit No.:		Hour Meter Reading:
Date:		Shift:
Pre Start-Up Walk-Around	Status OK / NO / NA		Remarks
Before starting the engine, check the following:	☐ ☐ ☐
Walk-around inspection (warning decals, capacity plate, etc.)	☐ ☐ ☐
Forks/locking pins, carriage, mast (in place, no damage)	☐ ☐ ☐
Wheels, tires, and lug nuts (pressure/condition)	☐ ☐ ☐
Battery (electrolyte level, connections)	☐ ☐ ☐
Battery gates installed and locked	☐ ☐ ☐
Battery disconnect shuts down travel and lift function when activated	☐ ☐ ☐
Engine (fluid levels, leaks, belts, hoses, debris)	☐ ☐ ☐
Transmission (fluid levels, leaks)	☐ ☐ ☐
Hydraulic tank (fluid levels, leaks)	☐ ☐ ☐
Fuel tank (secure, valve open, fuel level)	☐ ☐ ☐
Overhead guard (no damage)	☐ ☐ ☐
Seatbelt (in place, no damage)	☐ ☐ ☐
Controls (move smoothly without binding, return to neutral when released)	☐ ☐ ☐
Other
Pre Start-Up Walk-Around	Status OK / NO / NA		Remarks
After starting the engine, check the following:	☐ ☐ ☐
Engine (sounds normal, no excessive exhaust)	☐ ☐ ☐
Gauges and warning lights (fuel/charge level, oil pressure, etc.)	☐ ☐ ☐
Hour meter (records hours of truck operation)	☐ ☐ ☐
Wipers and lights	☐ ☐ ☐
Warning devices (horn, backup beeper, strobe lights, etc.)	☐ ☐ ☐
All powered controls (lift/lower system, reach mechanism, etc.)	☐ ☐ ☐
Direction/speed controls (move smoothly, function properly, plugging functions)	☐ ☐ ☐
All brakes (mechanism moves freely, deadman break, equipment stops)	☐ ☐ ☐
Steering (smooth without binding or excess play)	☐ ☐ ☐
Fuel/charge level	☐ ☐ ☐
Other:	☐ ☐ ☐
Comments:

Operator's initials:

Appendix D: Powered Industrial Truck Formal Training Topics

Topics covered as part of the formal instruction should include:

Applicable federal, state or local regulations.
Summary of the Powered Industrial Truck (PIT) Program and how to access the written program.
Procedures for responding to and reporting an incident.
Operating instructions, warnings, and precautions for the types of PIT the operator will be authorized to operate.
Differences between the PIT and an automobile.
PIT controls and instrumentation: where they are located, what they do, and how they work.
Engine or motor operation.
Steering and maneuvering.
Visibility (including restrictions due to loading).
Fork and attachment adaptation, operation, and use limitations.
PIT capacity (including load manipulation, stacking.
PIT stability.
PIT inspection and maintenance requirements that operator will perform.
Refueling.
Operating limitations (including load composition, manipulation, and capacity).
Other operating instructions, warnings, or precautions listed in the operator’s manual for the types of PIT that the employee is being trained to operate.
Workplace specific hazards, requirements, and conditions (including pedestrian traffic, classified locations, ramps/sloped areas, and other unique hazards).

Powered industrial trucks (PIT) program page is loaded.

Program name	Powered Industrial Trucks Program
Owners	Microsoft Global Occupational Health and Safety
Revision date	Revision D, September 11, 2025
Effective date	December 20, 2022

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