Fork Lift Driver Training
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that those wishing to drive a fork lift in the workplace receive classroom or lecture style training and supervised driving in order to be certified to drive in the workplace. The agency does not require a minimum time for either type of training; it is up to the supervisor to determine when training is complete.
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Where Training Takes Place
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Fork lift driver training typically takes place in the workplace, where the driver can learn to drive the forklift in the environment she will be driving in. In some cases, employers outsource training to a third-party vendor. There are also fork lift training schools where drivers can receive a more general training.
Classroom Style Training
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The first part of fork lift driver training is classroom style training. The driver learns about the specific forklift he will be driving, including how to refuel the truck if it has an internal combustion engine or how to change the battery if it is an electric motor truck, as well as any safety information specific to the fork lift.
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Supervised Driving
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The next part of fork lift driver training is supervised driving. If the training is taking place in the driver's workplace, she must learn to drive the fork lift in the work environment, taking into consideration the terrain, structures such as buildings and shelving, and nearby pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
Certification
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Once the fork lift driver has completed training to the supervisor's satisfaction, the supervisor grants the driver certification. If the training is for work, the certification is maintained in the driver's personnel file, and is made available for OSHA inspection. Because workplaces and fork lift trucks vary greatly, training must take place in any new work environment. That is, certification is not transferable.
Refresher Training
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OSHA requires fork lift drivers to receive refresher training periodically. The agency does not specify a frequency for this training, but the dates of training must appear on the driver's certification documentation. OSHA also does not specify the content of refresher training, but if the driver operates a forklift regularly, the refresher training typically consists of classroom training. If he does not drive regularly, supervised driving is part of the refresher training.
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References
- Photo Credit forklift image by Goran Bogicevic from Fotolia.com
