Counterbalance lift truck Training
The OSHA or Occupational Safety and Health Administration require that anyone utilizing a counterbalanced lift truck be given classroom or lecture style training. They also require that a periodic refresher training in addition to a supervised driving program is completed. There is no minimum time requirement for the classroom training or supervised driving. Additionally, there is no frequency mandated for the refresher training either.
Counterbalanced Forklifts
A counterbalanced forklift balances its cargo with the weight of the truck. The forks on a lift truck are in a fixed position; they go down and up and do not pivot. 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 kind of environment that they would be utilizing them.
Classroom Training
Training either in a classroom or lecture style will offer lift truck and driver information for the truck you will be operating. Most training would include certain aspects such as the weight and load capacity, height, how to charge or fuel the lift truck. It includes how to gauge the time on the engine in addition to any forklift 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 forklift operator needs to learn how to drive the counterbalanced lift truck while being supervised. The supervised driving has to take place in an area which reflects the environment the operator would be driving in. This atmosphere should include the kind of terrain she would be traveling on, have the same surrounding structures nearby, and the same vehicle and pedestrian traffic close by as well. There is no required minimum number of hours the operator has to drive while being supervised.