How often should forklift training be provided?

Providing employees with forklift training is an important part of keeping everyone safe. Forklift operators will obviously need the most training since they will be the ones performing the bulk of the duties on these machines. Other people who work with or around forklifts, however, will also benefit from proper training. Understanding what type of training everyone needs, and how often it should be provided, is critical.

How Often do Forklift Operators Need Training?

Those who are forklift operators need to be certified in order to comply with OSHA regulations. Once someone is properly certified, they must take a refresher evaluation once every three years to maintain their ability to operate a forklift. This refresher training is not always required. OSHA has stated that if an operator is certified, and regularly operates the same type of machine without incidents, they can skip this additional training. Of course, an employer may insist that the operator gets this extra training just to help improve safety.

In addition to having this type of refresher every three years, operators may also be required to get additional training after a safety incident is recorded. For example, if someone gets into an accident with their forklift, they may be required to get additional training to attempt to prevent it from happening again.

When Should Employees Receive Forklift Safety Training?

Employees who are not actually forklift operators can still benefit greatly from receiving forklift training. This type of training would focus more on how to be safe when working with or around forklift equipment. Some examples of this would include how to properly load up a pallet for a forklift, how to avoid a forklift crash, and more. In addition, certain types of visual communication can help allow people to communicate with a forklift operator in a safe way.