Forklift Truck Training
Operators need to undergo training on an industrial-powered lift truck, or forklift to receive forklift operator certification. The training course should be specific to the lift truck attachments and type that you will be using on the job location. Training should also reflect the atmosphere in which you would be working. Lift truck safety must be a top priority for both the operator trainee and the trainer.
General Qualifications
Anybody utilizing a forklift should undergo both training and certification before assuming operator duties. Basic credentials for operating a lift truck include being at least eighteen years old and the physical ability to control and operate the unit safely.
Pedestrian Safety
The top concern of any forklift operator should be the safety of pedestrians. Pedestrians near the lift truck are at risk of injury or death from getting hit by the equipment or its additions. Pedestrians must always have the right of way, and lift truck drivers should honk their horns when working at intersections or crosswalks or near pedestrians.
Weather Conditions
A lot of accidents involving lift trucks occur at loading docks. These places become hazardous if rain leaks in through open dock doors making the floor really slippery. Wet floor conditions create a hazard and operators should know potential dangers when working in loading dock areas.
Certification
Certification courses for lift truck drivers include both practical training and classroom instruction which could be tailored for the particular needs of each work environment. Training should be completed on the kind of forklift and attachments which will be used by the trainee in the workplace.
Accidents
Each year roughly 100 people die in forklift accidents. There are 100,000 forklift injuries reported each and every year. Nearly all of these accidents are preventable with attention to safety and correct operator training.