Forklift Testing

Forklift testing is done by employers.

When a prospective forklift operator gets a job that requires her to drive a forklift, she undergoes training provided by the employer or a third party hired by the employer. The training includes classroom or lecture teaching and supervised driving. Both components include testing, and the driver becomes certified when the employer is convinced she can safely operate the vehicle.

Classroom

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires that forklift operators receive classroom-style or lecture training about the forklifts they will be driving. There is no minimum time requirement for the classroom training, and the content is not specified, but oral or written testing is part of the training. Typically, this training includes information about the forklift the operator will drive, including safety measures to be taken.

Supervision

The second component of forklift training is supervised driving. The forklift operator is trained and tested to ensure he can safely and effectively drive the forklift he will use as part of his duties in the environment he will be driving, including the terrain on which he will be driving and with the same surrounding structures, vehicle traffic and pedestrian traffic.

When the driver has been tested both in the classroom and driving under supervision, he may be certified.

Refresher Course

OSHA requires that forklift drivers receive periodic refresher training. The frequency and content of the refresher training is not specified by the agency, but a supervisor or third-party agency designated by the employer must periodically ensure through oral, written and/or driving testing that the forklift operator understands how to drive safely.

Certification Won't Transfer

Forklift certification does not transfer from job to job because work environments vary. When a driver arrives in a new work environment, the new employer may opt to test her on classroom instruction and supervised driving without doing any training, and may decide she can safely drive a forklift without additional training. The same holds true if she arrives from an independent forklift training and testing facility.

Exceptions

If a forklift driver will be driving a Class VI (tow tractor) or Class VII (rough terrain) forklift in an agricultural setting, he does not need to be trained or tested. He must be trained and tested if he will be operating one of these types of lift trucks in an industrial, construction, manufacturing, forestry or logging environment.

References

• OSHA: Powered Industrial Truck Training Regulations