According to the lift truck regulations, an employer is not required to repeat previous training of a new operator. In order to address certain workplace hazards and specific workplace machinery, training needs to be supplemented. Like for example, an operator doesn't have to be trained in order to navigate a forklift on a ramp if that place of work does not contain a ramp; nevertheless, if the operator is really assigned to work somewhere which has a ramp, it is vital that extra training must be offered.
Trainees are just allowed to operate forklifts under direct supervision of just people who have the necessary knowledge and training to train and assess the trainees competence on the lift truck. The trainees can just learn in an environment where such operation does not endanger the trainee themselves or other employees.
It is necessary to make a practical evaluation in the workplace. If a third party training provider is chosen, it is better to have the training occur at the workplace, utilizing lift trucks at the workplace to be as precise as possible.
Once an operator has successfully passed training with records maintained by the employer, they are said to be qualified. The certification should contain the operator name, the training date, and the name of the individual performing the training and evaluation and lastly the date of evaluation. Even if certain state OSHA bodies need the issue of an operator's certificate, the Federal OSHA does not need it.
Refresher training is required to be completed every 3 years. It is also needed any time an operator shows some type of inadequacy in safe lift truck operation. For example, refresher training would be triggered by certain instances like for instance: if a different kind of lift truck is introduced to the workplace, if there is an accident or a near miss, if a supervisor observes operating unsafely and if an operator received a poor 3 year evaluation.
When unsafe use of a lift truck is noticed, it should be noticed that refresher training is not always the solution. Like for example, if an operator is disobeying workplace safety rules deliberately, it can be necessary to implement disciplinary action. And last but not least, though training lift truck operators is a requirement, it is necessary to practice forklift awareness training for other employees working in the vicinity of forklifts and pedestrians in order to make sure that everyone stays safe.