Forklift Certification & Training: Powered Industrial Truck Operator Safety

⏱️ 60 minutes

Forklift Certification & Training: Powered Industrial Truck Operator Safety

Forklift Safety Training Course

The Forklift Safety Training is designed to prepare employees for safe, compliant operation of powered industrial trucks (PITs). This course supports employer obligations under OSHA's Powered Industrial Truck standard (29 CFR 1910.178) by delivering the knowledge and awareness training required before hands-on evaluation and certification.

This forklift certification course covers essential safety principles, operator responsibilities, equipment limitations, and common accident scenarios that lead to injuries, fatalities, and property damage. Employees learn how forklifts differ from automobiles, how stability and load capacity affect safe operation, and how unsafe behaviors contribute to most forklift incidents.

The training is suitable for new operators, experienced operators needing refresher instruction, and organizations seeking consistent forklift operator training across warehouse, manufacturing, and industrial settings.

Important: OSHA requires this online training to be supplemented with hands-on practical training and operator evaluation by a qualified trainer before employees are authorized to operate a forklift. Employers are responsible for ensuring site-specific procedures, hands-on instruction, and any additional requirements applicable to their operations are met.

What You’ll Learn

  • Core forklift safety training principles and operator responsibilities
  • OSHA training requirements for powered industrial truck training
  • Forklift stability, load capacity, and the stability triangle
  • Safe driving practices, pedestrian safety, and speed control
  • Pre-operation inspection requirements and documentation
  • Proper load handling, ramps, inclines, and loading dock safety
  • Fuel-specific safety practices (electric, propane, internal combustion)
  • Accident prevention, reporting procedures, and refresher training triggers

Course Details

Duration: 60 minutes
Format: Self Paced Online Training
Assessment: Knowledge quiz with immediate feedback
Certification: Certificate of completion upon passing
Access: Available 24/7 through Training Director LMS

Important: This course provides the classroom (knowledge) portion of OSHA-required forklift training. Hands-on instruction and performance evaluation must be completed before final operator certification.

Who Should Take This Course

  • Employees seeking forklift operator certification
  • New hires assigned to operate forklifts or PIT equipment
  • Experienced operators requiring forklift refresher training
  • Warehouse, manufacturing, and distribution personnel
  • Employers implementing standardized forklift operator safety training
  • Supervisors responsible for forklift safety and compliance

Key Topics Covered

  • Forklift vs. automobile operating differences
  • Forklift stability triangle and tip-over prevention
  • Load center, load capacity, and attachment safety
  • Forklift pedestrian safety and right-of-way rules
  • Forklift daily inspection checklist requirements
  • Parking, refueling, and battery charging safety
  • Accident causes, near-miss reporting, and documentation
  • OSHA refresher and powered industrial truck certification requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the training take?
The course takes approximately 60 minutes to complete. Employees can pause and resume at their convenience.

Is this training OSHA compliant?
This training is designed to help organizations meet OSHA requirements for workplace safety. This forklift safety course supports OSHA training requirements under 29 CFR 1910.178 by covering the classroom (knowledge) portion of training. Employers must also provide hands-on instruction and performance evaluation before issuing final certification. Employers are responsible for ensuring site-specific procedures, hands-on instruction, and any additional requirements applicable to their operations are met.

Do employees receive a certificate?
Yes. Upon successful completion, employees can generate a certificate of completion for the classroom training portion. All progress is stored and can be accessed in the main dashboard under Learner Report. However, final forklift operator certification requires completion of both this online training and hands-on evaluation by a qualified trainer.

How often should employees take this training?
OSHA requires forklift refresher training every three years at minimum. Additional refresher training is required when an operator is observed operating unsafely, involved in an accident or near-miss, receives a poor evaluation, assigned to a different type of forklift, or when workplace conditions change. We recommend annual refresher training to maintain operator competency.

Can we track completion?
Yes. Training Director provides real-time tracking of assignments, completion status, and quiz scores, making it easy to verify that all employees have completed their forklift operator training.

Does this training provide full forklift operator certification?
This course provides the classroom (knowledge) training component required by OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178. However, OSHA requires forklift operator certification to include both classroom training and hands-on practical training with performance evaluation by a qualified trainer. Employers must provide the hands-on component and document successful completion before authorizing employees to operate forklifts independently.

What is the forklift stability triangle?
The training covers the forklift stability triangle. The stability triangle is formed by the two front wheels and the pivot point of the rear axle. As long as the combined center of gravity of the forklift and load remains within this triangle, the forklift remains stable. Understanding how load weight, load height, speed, and turning affect the center of gravity is critical for preventing tip-overs, which account for a significant percentage of forklift fatalities. This should also be covered when you provide the hands on portion of the training.

Does this training cover all types of powered industrial trucks?
This course covers general forklift safety principles applicable to most common powered industrial trucks including sit-down counterbalanced forklifts, stand-up reach trucks, and order pickers. OSHA requires that training be specific to the type of equipment operators will use. Employers must supplement this training with equipment-specific instruction for specialized PITs such as rough terrain forklifts, telehandlers, or other unique equipment types.

Get Started

Forklift Safety Training is included with the Intelligent Plan.

  1. Sign up - You can begin on the free plan and upgrade when you’re ready to assign courses.
  2. Complete the company risk assessment (required) - It takes less than 15 minutes. Answer all questions as accurately as possible so we can set up your account correctly.
  3. Access your dashboard - After submitting the assessment, you’ll be redirected to your dashboard.
  4. Click Training Director - Start assigning courses to your team.

Get Started

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