Counterbalance lift truck Training
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA require that anybody utilizing a counterbalanced forklift be given lecture style or classroom training. They also require that a periodic refresher training in addition to a supervised driving course is finished. There is no required minimum time 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 utilizing the weight of the truck. The forks on a lift truck are in a fixed position; they go up and down and do not turn. The forks run parallel to the forklift's body. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration require that people who will be operating counterbalanced forklifts on the job be correctly trained on the trucks while being in the environment that they will be utilizing them.
Classroom Training
Lecture style training or classroom training provides information regarding the truck that the operator will be using. This training includes aspects like weight and load capacity, height, how to fuel or charge the lift truck. It covers how to gauge the time on the engine along with 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 minimum time requirement for the training.
Supervised Driving
The lift truck driver needs to learn how to utilize the counterbalanced forklift while being supervised. The supervised driving has to take place in an area which reflects the environment the driver will 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 similar surrounding structures nearby too. There is no specific minimum number of hours the operator has to drive while being supervised.