Counterbalance forklift Training
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration does require drivers utilizing a counterbalanced forklift to have received classroom or lecture style training. They also require that a supervised driving program is completed along with periodic refresher training. There is no required minimum time for the classroom training or supervised driving. Moreover, there is no frequency mandated for the refresher training either.
Counterbalanced Forklifts
A counterbalanced lift truck balances its cargo using the weight of the truck. 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 body of the forklift. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration require that people who would be using counterbalanced forklifts on the job be properly trained on the trucks while being in the kind of environment which they would be utilizing them.
Classroom Training
Classroom training or lecture style training offers information about the truck which the operator will be using. This training covers aspects such as weight and load capacity, height, how to fuel or charge the forklift. It includes how to gauge the time on the engine in addition to any lift truck specific safety information like 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 lift truck operator has to learn how to use the counterbalanced lift truck while being supervised. The supervised driving needs to take place in an area which reflects the environment the driver will be driving in. This atmosphere should include the kind of terrain she would be traveling on, have the same surrounding structures nearby, and similar pedestrian and vehicle traffic nearby too. There is no required minimum number of hours the operator needs to drive while being supervised.