Lift truck Truck Training
To be given certification as a forklift driver, you need to undergo training on an industrial-powered forklift, or lift truck. The training must be specific to the forklift attachments and type that you will be utilizing on the job. Training should also reflect the setting wherein you would be working. Forklift safety should be a main concern for both the trainer and the operator trainee.
General Credentials
Prior to assuming any operator duties, all lift truck drivers should undergo training and certification. Basic qualifications for using a forklift include an age of at least eighteen years and the physical capacity to safely operate and control the unit.
Pedestrian Safety
The main concern of any lift truck driver should be the safety of pedestrians. Pedestrians near the forklift are at risk of injury or death from getting hit by the equipment or its attachments. Pedestrians should always have the right of way, and forklift drivers should honk their horns when working at intersections or crosswalks or near pedestrians.
Weather Conditions
Forklift accidents frequently happen on loading docks. These areas become dangerous if rain leaks in through open dock doors making the floor very slippery. Wet floor conditions create a danger and drivers need to be aware of possible dangers when working in loading dock areas.
Certification
Certification courses for lift truck operators include both practical training and classroom instruction that can be tailored for the particular requirements of each work environment. Training should be undertaken on the kind of forklift and attachments that would be utilized by the trainee in the workplace.
Mishaps
Every year approximately 100 people die in forklift mishaps. There are 100,000 forklift injuries reported every year. The majority of these accidents are avoidable with attention to safety and proper operator training.