Forklift Truck Training
Operators need to undergo training on an industrial-powered forklift, or lift truck in order to be given forklift driver certification. The training must be specific to the lift truck attachments and type which you would be using on the job. Training should also reflect the environment in which you would be working. Lift truck safety should be a top priority for both the trainer and the operator trainee.
General Qualifications
Before assuming any operator duties, all forklift drivers should undergo certification and training. Basic credentials for utilizing a forklift include an age of at least eighteen years and the physical ability to safely operate and control the unit.
Pedestrian Safety
The main concern of any lift truck driver should 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 additions. Pedestrians always have the right of way, and lift truck drivers must honk their horns when working at intersections or crosswalks or near pedestrians.
Weather Conditions
Lift truck mishaps often happen on loading docks. These places become hazardous if rain leaks in through open dock doors resulting in a very slippery floor. Wet floor conditions could result in a danger and drivers must know possible hazards when working in loading dock areas.
Certification
Certification programs for forklift operators consist of both classroom instruction and practical training which can be tailored for the particular needs of each work environment. Training should be completed on the kind of forklift and attachments that would be utilized by the trainee in the workplace.
Accidents
Every year approximately 100 people die in forklift accidents. There are 100,000 forklift injuries reported each and every year. The majority of these accidents could be avoided with proper operator training and attention to safety.