Forklift Driver Certification

To drive a forklift in the workplace, an operator must be certified.

In order to legally drive a forklift in most work environments, an operator must undergo a driver certification process spelled out by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) guidelines allow employers to put together training programs that make sense for their workplaces by not putting time requirements on the training.

Lecture-Style Training

OSHA requires that forklift driver certification training begin with lecture-style training, such as in a classroom. This training consists of information about the forklift the operator will be driving, including the size of the vehicle, the load capacity and general safety measures. Classroom training may include written and/or oral exams at the trainer's discretion.

Supervised Driving

OSHA requires that forklift operators be trained to drive on the equipment they will be operating, in the environment they will be driving. To be certified, the driver must learn to drive the specific type of forklift she will be driving in the workplace, and she must learn to do so with environmental factors like terrain, pedestrian and vehicle traffic and structures that match the environment she will be driving in.

Refresher Training

Once a driver completes classroom and supervised driving training, he can be certified. OSHA requires that he receive periodic refresher training to remind him of some of the things he may not deal with on a day-to-day basis. If he operates a forklift frequently, his refresher training may be primarily classroom information. If not, he may be required to do some supervised driving. OSHA does not state specifically how often a driver must receive refresher training, but the dates of refresher training must be noted on his certification.

Transferring Certification

Because each work environment is different, certification does not transfer from job to job. If a forklift driver moves to a new job, she must be re-certified in the new environment. Due to her having previously been trained, the certification process may not be as long as the first time, but she must be certified by the new supervisor.

Exceptions

OSHA does not require forklift driver certification for people who drive Class VI (tow tractor) or Class VII (rough terrain) forklifts in an agricultural setting. Operators do have to receive a certification if driving a Class VI or VII lift truck in an industrial, construction or logging setting, or any other environment that is not designed for farming.

References

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Powered Industrial Truck Standards