Counterbalance lift truck Training
The OSHA or Occupational Safety and Health Administration require that anybody utilizing a counterbalanced forklift be given classroom or lecture style training. They also require that a supervised driving course is finished along with periodic refresher training. There is no minimum time requirement for the supervised driving or classroom training. Moreover, there is no frequency mandated for the refresher training either.
Counterbalanced Forklifts
A counterbalanced lift truck balances its cargo using the weight of the truck. The forks on a lift truck are in a fixed position; they go up and down and do not pivot. The forks run parallel to the body of the forklift. OSHA require that individuals who will be utilizing counterbalanced forklifts on the job be trained on the trucks while being in the kind of environment that they would be using them.
Classroom Training
Classroom training or lecture style training provides information regarding the truck that the driver would be driving. This training includes aspects such as load and weight capacity, height, how to charge or fuel the forklift. It covers how to gauge the time on the engine as well as any forklift specific safety information like where to stand when walking around the truck. Either written and/or oral testing is part of the classroom training. There is no minimum time requirement for the training.
Supervised Driving
The forklift driver has to learn how to use the counterbalanced lift truck while being supervised. The supervised driving has to take place in an area that reflects the environment the operator would be driving in. This atmosphere should include the type of terrain she will be traveling on, have the same vehicle and pedestrian traffic close by, and the same surrounding structures nearby too. There is no required minimum number of hours the driver has to drive while being supervised.