Forklift Truck Training Course
In order to be given certification as a lift truck operator, you should undergo training on an industrial-powered forklift, or lift truck. The training must be specific to the lift truck type and attachments that you will be utilizing on the job site. Training must also reflect the environment in which you will be working. Forklift safety must be a top priority for both the trainer and the operator trainee.
General Credentials
Prior to assuming any operator duties, all forklift drivers should undergo training and certification. Basic qualifications for using a lift truck include an age of at least 18 years and the physical ability to control and operate the unit safely.
Pedestrian Safety
The main concern of any lift truck operator must be the safety of pedestrians. Pedestrians in the vicinity of the forklift are at risk of death or injury from getting hit by the equipment or its attachments. Pedestrians must always have the right of way, and forklift drivers should honk their horns when working at crosswalks or intersections or near pedestrians.
Weather Conditions
Lift truck accidents frequently take place on loading docks. These places become dangerous if rain leaks in through open dock doors making the floor extremely slippery. Wet floor conditions can result in a danger and drivers need to know potential dangers when working in loading dock areas.
Certification
Certification courses for forklift drivers include both practical training and classroom instruction that can be tailored for the specific needs of each work environment. Training should be completed on the kind of forklift and attachments that would be used by the trainee in the workplace.
Mishaps
Every year roughly 100 individuals die in forklift mishaps. There are 100,000 forklift injuries reported each and every year. Most of these accidents are avoidable with proper operator training and attention to safety.