Counterbalance lift truck Training
The OSHA or Occupational Safety and Health Administration require that anyone utilizing a counterbalanced lift truck receive classroom or lecture style training. They also require that a supervised driving course is finished in addition to periodic refresher training. There is no minimum time requirement for the classroom training or supervised driving. Moreover, there is no frequency mandated for the refresher training either.
Counterbalanced Forklifts
The weight of the counterbalance forklift is used to balance its load utilizing its own weight. The lift truck forks are in a fixed position but can be lowered and raised to secure and move loads. The forks run parallel to the body of the forklift. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration require that people who would be utilizing counterbalanced forklifts on the job be properly trained on the trucks while being in the kind of environment which they would be using them.
Classroom Training
Lecture style training or classroom training offers information regarding the truck which the driver will be driving. This training includes aspects like weight and load capacity, height, how to charge or fuel the forklift. It covers how to gauge the time on the engine in addition to any forklift 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 forklift driver has to learn how to operate the counterbalanced forklift while being supervised. The supervised driving has to take place in an area which reflects the environment the operator will be driving in. This atmosphere should include the type of terrain she will be traveling on, have similar surrounding structures nearby, and similar vehicle and pedestrian traffic nearby too. There is no required minimum number of hours the operator has to drive while being supervised.