Counterbalance lift truck Training
The OSHA or Occupational Safety and Health Administration require that anybody operating a counterbalanced lift truck be given classroom or lecture style training. They additionally require that a supervised driving course is finished as well as periodic refresher training. There is no minimum time requirement for the classroom training or supervised driving. Also, there is no frequency mandated for the refresher training either.
Counterbalanced Forklifts
A counterbalanced lift truck balances its cargo using the truck's weight. 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 utilizing counterbalanced forklifts on the job be properly trained on the trucks while being in the kind of setting which they would be utilizing them.
Classroom Training
Lecture style training or classroom training offers 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 forklift. 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 written and/or oral testing is part of the classroom training. There is no required minimum time for the training.
Supervised Driving
The lift truck driver has to learn how to drive the counterbalanced forklift while being supervised. The supervised driving needs to take place in an area which reflects the environment the driver would be driving in. This atmosphere must include the kind of terrain she will be traveling on, have similar surrounding structures close by, and similar pedestrian and vehicle traffic close by too. There is no required minimum number of hours the driver needs to drive while being supervised.