UKMHA Safety Drive 2021

Operator Training

Employers have a legal duty to ensure that operators of materials handling equipment have received adequate training.

• Trained operators are less likely to be involved in a collision with other vehicles, pedestrians or objects.
• They are less likely to cause damage to the equipment, reducing downtime and cost of repairs.
• Improved operator performance will increase productivity.

There is no such thing as a forklift licence, so before authorising any employee to operate a truck, the employer must ensure proper training has been completed to guarantee competency.

Competence requires:

• BASIC TRAINING – such as provided by a third-party training provider. This will include an explanation of safety systems and truck stability, but, by itself does not ensure competence.
• SPECIFIC JOB TRAINING – covering the actual truck, loads and site. This should include site conditions, rules and hazards, and instruction in load handling and safe systems of work.
• FAMILIARISATION TRAINING – supervised practical experience of specific work activities.
• REFRESHER TRAINING - Operators, even those who are trained and experienced, need to be routinely monitored in the workplace and, where necessary, retested or refresher trained to make sure they continue to operate lift trucks safely.