Counterbalance lift truck Training
The OSHA or Occupational Safety and Health Administration require that anyone operating a counterbalanced lift truck be given 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 counterbalanced forklift's weight is used to balance its load using its own weight. The lift truck forks are in a fixed position but could 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 drivers who will be utilizing 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
Training either in a classroom or lecture style will provide forklift and driver information for the truck you would be driving. Most training would cover 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 along with 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 required minimum time for the training.
Supervised Driving
The lift truck driver needs to learn how to use the counterbalanced forklift while being supervised. The supervised driving needs to take place in an area that reflects the environment the driver will be driving in. This atmosphere should include the type of terrain she will be traveling on, have the same surrounding structures close by, and similar pedestrian and vehicle traffic close by as well. There is no required minimum number of hours the driver has to drive while being supervised.