Trucking and regulatory
OSHA
OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Labor. Its mission is to make sure workers have safe and healthful working conditions. It sets and enforces workplace standards, and it offers training, outreach, education and assistance. Some states run their own approved programs.
Why it matters
For a portable storage company, OSHA rules touch the yard, the shop and the delivery truck. Examples include safe lifting, forklift use, ladders, strapping loads and working near cut metal when a container is modified. Employers often train staff and keep written safety records. A common mistake is to think OSHA covers only large factories. It reaches most private employers. Customers can also be affected, because a jobsite that rents a container may have its own safety rules for where the unit sits and who may open it. State plans may add more rules, so operators should check their state.
Read: Safety and compliance for container delivery: DOT, FMCSA, CDL and OSHA
Definition source: osha.gov
Related terms
FMCSA
FMCSA is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation. It writes and enforces safety rules for commercial motor vehicles and carriers, and it handles registration for interstate carriers. Its rules are in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
workers compensation
Workers compensation is insurance that covers an employer's liability for injuries, disability or death of people in its employment, without regard to fault. NAIC describes it that way, as set by state or federal workers compensation laws. Most states require employers to carry it, with some exceptions.
container forklift
A container forklift is a forklift used to lift or load containers. It may lift an empty container by its forklift pockets, or it may drive into a container to load pallets. Heavy-duty container handlers are a different class of machine.
container modification
A container modification is a change made to a standard shipping container. It covers a single door cut-in up to a full fit-out. Common changes include doors, windows, vents, insulation, electrical work, HVAC, lining, partitions and plumbing. Sellers often group these changes into packages.
reach stacker
A reach stacker is a vehicle that handles intermodal cargo containers in terminals and ports. It has a telescopic boom that lifts, carries and stacks loaded containers several high. It grips them by the corner castings. It is built for heavy, high-volume yards.
best practices
Best practices are methods that an industry agrees work well and are safe, legal and efficient, and that members can copy and teach. NPSA says it works to identify best practices for portable storage in workforce management, business practices, safety and regulation compliance.
For the industry
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