Forklift Certification and Forklift Requirements

A large piece of industrial machinery like a forklift requires certification to be operated legally. Forklift certification requires you pass tests, both formal and practical, much like when you received your Driver’s License. The formal training for forklift certification can be done in one of the following ways:

• Lecture
• Discussion
• Interactive computer learning
• Video tape/DVD
• Written

The practical forklift certification is done at your workplace, by your employer, to assure safe practices on the jobsite. Also similar to your Driver’s License, the certification must be renewed every three years. The OSHA rule 1910.178. (I)(6) says, "The employer shall certify that each operator has been trained and evaluated as required by this paragraph (l). The certification shall include the name of the operator, the date of the training, the date of the evaluation, and the identity of the person(s) performing the training or evaluation." Forklift certification will increase safety in your workplace. A safe work environment is a happier, healthier environment to work in, potentially reducing your insurance and Worker’s Compensations costs.