Forklift Operator Training: Drive Safety Forward

The library includes 11 courses and videos. Core courses include Forklift and Powered Industrial Truck Safety, Forklift Safety: Industrial Counterbalance Lift Trucks, and Forklift Pedestrian Safety for Operators. Short videos cover forklift anatomy, operation safety and best practices.

Yes. Under 29 CFR 1910.178(l), employers must train and evaluate every powered industrial truck operator before they operate a forklift on the job. Training must include formal instruction, practical training and an evaluation of the operator's performance in the workplace.

Online training fulfills the formal instruction portion of OSHA's requirement. To complete certification, a qualified trainer must also provide hands-on practice and evaluate each operator on the equipment they'll use. The employer then certifies that the operator has been trained and evaluated.

Yes. Forklift Safety for Pedestrians teaches non-operators how to stay safe in areas where forklifts are moving. Forklift Pedestrian Safety for Operators teaches drivers how to protect the people around them.

Yes. Forklift Safety: A Manager's Guide is a 7-minute video that explains a supervisor's role in keeping forklift operations safe and compliant.

The short videos run 7 to 10 minutes each. The full online courses run about 45 minutes each.

Yes. Forklift and Powered Industrial Truck Safety, Forklift Pedestrian Safety for Operators, and Forklift Safety for Pedestrians are all available in Spanish.

OSHA requires an operator evaluation at least every three years. Refresher training is also required after an accident or near miss, after unsafe operation is observed, or when an operator is assigned a different type of truck or workplace conditions change.