Simulation of Stand-Up Lift Truck Accidents to Evaluate Their Design and Operator Training Implications

OSHA regulations mandate that operators of stand-up rider lift trucks be trained to jump clear of the truck in overturn accidents. Operator compartment doors have been considered as a design modification to protect operators against lower leg injuries in some other types of stand-up rider accidents. However, they restrict the ability of operators to rapidly jump clear and must be evaluated against the injuries that operators can incur by remaining in the truck. This paper describes computer simulation by a newly developed biodynamic model and testing with anthropomorphic test devices and actual trucks to advance the state of knowledge concerning injury potential in tip-over and off-the-dock accidents. Implications of the results for design as well as for OSHA training regulations are discussed.