What Forklift Operators Need to Know

Safe operation of forklifts depends on safe operators. OSHA’s training requirements for forklift operators can be found at 29 CFR 1910.178(l) and include instruction in:

• Operating instructions, warnings, and precautions

• Differences between the truck and the automobile
• Truck controls and instrumentation
• Engine or motor operation
• Steering and maneuvering
• Visibility (including restrictions due to loading)
• Fork and attachment adaptation, operation, and use limitations
• Vehicle capacity
• Vehicle stability
• Vehicle inspection and maintenance
• Refueling and/or charging and recharging of batteries
• Operating limitations
• Any other operating instructions, warnings, or precautions listed in the operator’s manual
• Surface conditions where the vehicle will be operated
• Composition of loads to be carried and load stability
• Load manipulation, stacking, and unstacking
• Pedestrian traffic in areas where the vehicle will be operated
• Narrow aisles and other restricted places where the vehicle will be operated
• Hazardous (classified) locations where the vehicle will be operated
• Ramps and other sloped surfaces that could affect the vehicle’s stability
• Closed environments and other areas where insufficient ventilation or poor vehicle maintenance could cause a buildup of carbon monoxide or diesel exhaust
• Unique or potentially hazardous environmental conditions in the workplace that could affect safe operation

---

Don’t just tell forklift operators what to do—show them with action footage on DVD in BLR’s Training Solutions Toolkit: Forklift Safety.

Read More.

---

Refresher Training

Refresher training and an evaluation of the effectiveness of that training must be provided when an operator:

• 
  Operates the vehicle in an unsafe manner
• Has been involved in an accident or near-miss incident


• Is assigned to drive a different kind of truck

Refresher training must also be provided whenever there are changes in workplace conditions that could affect safe operation of a forklift.

An evaluation of each operator’s performance must be conducted at least every 3 years.

Certification

You must certify that each operator has been trained and evaluated. The written certification record 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.

If you evaluate forklift operators’ performance more frequently than every 3 years, retain the most recent certification record. Otherwise, maintain certification records for 3 years.

---

BLR’s Training Solutions Toolkit: Forklift Safety on DVD comes to you satisfaction assured! Get the details.

---

Operator Training on DVD

So how do you train your employees in a way that the information sticks with the operators of these potentially deadly vehicles? We think BLR’s Training Solutions Toolkit: Forklift Safety has a giant leg up on the competition.

This DVD-based kit is really a mini-motion picture, complete with professional actors and a realistic script. It trains on all the essential points.

This outstanding training program also includes all these supplementary materials:

• 15 copies of an employee workbook and accompanying leader’s guide that confirms and extends the learning. Additional copies may be ordered at special low prices.
• 3 posters. Hang them around your facility as a constant reminder of the training. (And note the pleased expression on any OSHA inspector who happens to see them.)
• Trainer’s log. Creates a permanent record of whom you trained and when—another must-have if your facility is inspected.
• Customizable completion certificate. Just add each trainee’s name and other company specifics and print out.
• A complete bonus PowerPoint® forklift training program. This 30-slide PowerPoint, with accompanying slide show notes and takeaway booklets, allows you an alternative way to train, and lets you customize your training with specific company policies and situations and add your comments as you present the material.

Training Solutions Toolkit: Forklift Safety is available for a no-cost, no-risk trial at your workplace. We’ll be happy to arrange it for you.

Other Recent Articles on Training
Preventing Bloodborne Pathogen Exposures
Diabetes: What Your Workers Need to Know
Reap the Benefits of Web-Based Safety Training
Accountability Ensure Learners Use Safety Skills