Forklift Truck Training Program
To be given certification as a forklift driver, you have to undergo training on an industrial-powered forklift, or lift truck. The training course must be specific to the lift truck type and attachments that you will be using on the job. Training should also reflect the setting wherein you would be working. Forklift safety should be a main concern for both the trainer and the operator trainee.
General Credentials
Before assuming any operator duties, all lift truck operators must undergo training and certification. Basic credentials for operating a lift truck include being at least eighteen years old and the physical capacity to safely control and operate the unit.
Pedestrian Safety
The safety of pedestrians must be a main concern of any lift truck operator. Pedestrians in the vicinity of the forklift are at risk of death or injury from getting hit by the machinery or its additions. Pedestrians should always have the right of way, and forklift operators must honk their horns when working near pedestrians or at crosswalks or intersections.
Weather Conditions
Lift truck accidents frequently take place on loading docks. These areas become dangerous if rain leaks in through open dock doors leading to an extremely slippery floor. Wet floor conditions create a hazard and operators need to be aware of possible dangers when working in loading dock areas.
Certification
Certification courses for forklift operators include both classroom instruction and practical training that could be tailored for the particular needs of each work environment. Training must be completed on the kind of forklift and attachments that will be used by the trainee in the workplace.
Accidents
On average, there is around 100 deaths attributed to forklift accidents, while more than 100,000 are injured by lift trucks. Most of these accidents could be avoided with correct operator training and attention to safety.