er for FLS, adds that site visits offer an opportunity for the
trainer to gather information on the composition of the
fleet, what shifts it operates, and the qualifications of operators already working in the facility so it can design a program that addresses the customer’s specific needs. “We have
a different course for each [vehicle] classification,” he says.
(Industrial vehicles are divided into seven classes based on a
number of operating criteria.) “We find out what they use.
Each machine has its own application and capacities. While
they have some overlap, you have to be specifically trained
for the manufacturer and the machine.”
3Ensure the program is thorough. Lift truck operator training is about far more than just starting, driving,
steering, and manipulating the forks. An effective program
should also cover “off the truck” activities like pre-shift
inspections and safe battery handling.
For example, the program offered by J.J. Keller Business
Services, a consulting firm that specializes in regulatory and
safety compliance and provides on-site training, includes
an overview of OSHA regulations, daily inspections, training on inclines and ramps, operating in hazardous environments, loading and unloading, fuel handling and storage,
battery safety, stacking and manipulating loads, safe storage
of material, negotiating sharp turns, and pedestrian traffic.
4Provide time for classroom instruction. Classroom instruction can vary from a few hours to a full day,
depending on the specific requirements of an operation, the
size of the class, and the experience of the operators. Classes
typically contain both new operators and experienced drivers taking instruction for the mandated recertification,
Halcom notes.
As for the classes themselves, Halcom says he uses a variety of media in his classroom sessions, including safety
videos, PowerPoint presentations, lectures, and printed
material. Topics covered in FLS’s training classes include
accident prevention, driving skills, fueling and charging,
inspecting the truck, load handling, pedestrian hazards,
dangers of complacency, and dock hazards.
Steve Cox, an instructional designer for Raymond Corp.,
says his company’s classes begin with basic concepts that
apply across a range of equipment—like the dangers of
speeding, safe load handling, and awareness of pedestri-
ans—then move on to site-specific information. “In the
classroom, we address the ideas, concepts, and theories that
affect a variety of vehicles,” he says. “It gets more complex
when we look at the operational side of it.”
5Provide the time, space, and vehicles for hands-on training. Although the basics can be covered in the
classroom, there are some things that can only be learned
on the equipment, says Cox, who has worked in lift truck
training for 15 years. Safe load handling and maneuvering
fall into this category, he says. “You give [trainees] the
opportunity to observe an experienced person, then some
time to operate and practice on their own.”
While hands-on training can be conducted off site or
after hours, many companies end up doing it in a relatively
quiet portion of an active DC, Cox says. “Most customers
don’t have the luxury of doing something off site,” he says.
“You have to do it in the work environment.”
As for the equipment used in the training, Cox empha-
sizes that it’s not enough to simply train drivers to operate
a specific class of vehicle. Because of variations in design
from one make of vehicle to the next, it’s important that
they receive training on the specific brand of truck they’ll
be operating. “You cannot assume that if you can drive a
Raymond truck, you can just get on a Crown,” Cox says.
And it’s not just the make and type of truck that matters;
the model matters too. Even within brands, new or upgraded models of existing trucks may require some vehicle-spe-cific training.
6Evaluate and certify. “You need to have some kind of evaluation of the operator’s skill,” says Cox. That
requires an evaluator who is not shy about stating that a
would-be lift truck operator is not up to the job.
It’s important to note that while professional trainers will
offer all the components of a program, including a formal
evaluation, the actual certification is up to the employer.
7Train pedestrians, too. Lift truck operators aren’t the only workers at risk in a busy DC. People working
around these vehicles face hazards as well. To reduce the
risk of accidents and pedestrian injuries, some programs,
like the one offered through Raymond’s dealers, include
specific safety training for dockworkers and others who
work around lift trucks but do not operate them. ●
Editor’s note: For the full OSHA standards, go to
www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table
=STANDARDS&p_id=9828. Training is specifically
addressed in paragraph “l.”
