Lift truck Truck Training Course
To be given certification as a forklift driver, you must undergo training on an industrial-powered lift truck, or forklift. The training should be specific to the forklift attachments and type which you would be utilizing on the job location. Training should also reflect the environment in which you would be working. Lift truck safety should be a main concern for both the operator trainee and the trainer.
General Qualifications
Anyone utilizing a forklift must undergo training and certification prior to assuming operator duties. Basic qualifications for utilizing a lift truck include an age minimum of eighteen years and the physical capacity to operate and control the unit safely.
Pedestrian Safety
The main concern of any lift truck operator should be the safety of pedestrians. Pedestrians in the vicinity of the lift truck are at risk of death or injury from getting hit by the machine or its attachments. Pedestrians always have the right of way, and lift truck drivers should honk their horns when working near pedestrians or at crosswalks or intersections.
Weather Conditions
Forklift accidents frequently happen on loading docks. These places become dangerous if rain leaks in through open dock doors causing an extremely slippery floor. Wet floor conditions can result in a danger and operators must know possible dangers when working in loading dock areas.
Certification
Lift truck certification programs include a combination of practical training and classroom instruction tailored to the particular requirements of the workplace. Training should be undertaken on the kind of forklift and attachments which would be utilized by the trainee in the workplace.
Mishaps
On average, there is approximately 100 deaths attributed to forklift mishaps, while more than 100,000 are injured by lift trucks. Most of these accidents are avoidable with attention to safety and proper operator training.