Counterbalance lift truck Training
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA require that anybody using a counterbalanced lift truck be given lecture style or classroom training. They additionally require that a periodic refresher training along with a supervised driving program is completed. There is no minimum time requirement for the supervised driving or classroom training. As well, there is no frequency mandated for the refresher training either.
Counterbalanced Forklifts
A counterbalanced forklift balances its load 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 pivot. The forks run parallel to the forklift's body. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration require that drivers who will be operating counterbalanced forklifts on the job be properly trained on the trucks while being in the kind of setting that they would be utilizing them.
Classroom Training
Lecture style training or classroom training offers information about the truck that the operator will be driving. This training includes aspects like load and weight 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 like for instance 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 operator of a lift truck would need to learn to drive the machine while being supervised. The supervised driving has to take place in an environment that resembles the current environment that the operator works in. This atmosphere should include the type of terrain she would be traveling on, have the same pedestrian and vehicle traffic nearby, and the same surrounding structures close by as well. There is no specific minimum number of hours the operator needs to drive while being supervised.