Forklift driver certification


All forklift drivers must be certified in compliance with the OSHA regulation that was passed in 1998 (1910.178). Employers must complete and maintain certification of the driver’s training record, containing the name of the driver, the date of the training and the date of the evaluation and name of the trainer.

Once trained, the driver should be familiar with the following topics:

* Operating instructions, warnings and precautions for the types of trucks the driver will use
* Truck controls and instrumentation
* Engine or motor operation
* Steering and maneuvering
* Visibility (including restrictions due to loading)
* Fork and attachment operation
* Vehicle capacity
* Vehicle inspections, maintenance, refueling and charging of batteries
* Surface conditions where vehicle will be operated
* Composition of loads to be carried
* Pedestrian traffic
* Environmental considerations that could result in buildup of hazardous fumes or exhaust