Counterbalance forklift Training
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA require that anyone using a counterbalanced forklift receive lecture style or classroom training. They additionally require that a periodic refresher training as well as a supervised driving course is finished. There is no minimum time requirement for the supervised driving or classroom training. Additionally, there is no frequency mandated for the refresher training either.
Counterbalanced Forklifts
A counterbalanced lift truck balances its cargo with the truck's weight. The forks on a lift truck are in a fixed position; they go up and down and do not pivot. The forks run parallel to the forklift's body. OSHA require that drivers who will be operating counterbalanced forklifts on the job be properly trained on the trucks while being in the kind of environment that they will be utilizing them.
Classroom Training
Classroom training or lecture style training offers information regarding the truck that the driver will be utilizing. This training includes aspects like load and weight capacity, height, how to fuel or charge the lift truck. It covers how to gauge the time on the engine in addition to any lift truck specific safety information including where to stand when walking around the truck. Either oral and/or written testing is part of the classroom training. There is no required minimum time for the training.
Supervised Driving
The forklift driver has to learn how to utilize the counterbalanced lift truck while being supervised. The supervised driving needs to take place in an area that reflects the environment the driver would be driving in. This atmosphere must include the kind of terrain she would be traveling on, have the same pedestrian and vehicle traffic nearby, and the same surrounding structures nearby too. There is no specific minimum number of hours the operator needs to drive while being supervised.