Forklift Truck Training
In order to be given certification as a forklift driver, you need to undergo training on an industrial-powered lift truck, or forklift. The training program must be specific to the lift truck type and attachments that you will be utilizing on the job site. Training must also reflect the setting in which you would be working. Forklift safety should be a main concern for both the trainer and the operator trainee.
General Qualifications
Anyone operating a lift truck should undergo training and certification prior to assuming operator duties. Basic credentials for driving a forklift include an age of at least eighteen years and the physical capacity to operate and control the unit safely.
Pedestrian Safety
The safety of pedestrians should be a top concern of any lift truck driver. Pedestrians near the lift truck are at risk of injury or death from getting hit by the machine or its attachments. Pedestrians should always have the right of way, and lift truck operators should honk their horns when working at crosswalks or intersections or near pedestrians.
Weather Conditions
Forklift mishaps frequently happen on loading docks. These places become dangerous if rain leaks in through open dock doors making the floor really slippery. Wet floor conditions can lead to a hazard and drivers should know potential dangers when working in loading dock areas.
Certification
Certification courses for forklift drivers include both classroom instruction and practical training which could be tailored for the specific needs of each work setting. Training should be completed on the kind of forklift and attachments that would be used by the trainee in the workplace.
Mishaps
Every year about 100 people die in forklift accidents. There are 100,000 forklift injuries reported every year. The majority of these accidents are preventable with correct operator training and attention to safety.