Counterbalance forklift Training
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration does require drivers utilizing a counterbalanced lift truck to have received lecture style or classroom training. They additionally require that a supervised driving program is completed in addition to periodic refresher training. There is no minimum time requirement for the supervised driving or classroom training. What's more, 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 pivot. The forks run parallel to the forklift's body. OSHA require that people who will be operating counterbalanced forklifts on the job be trained on the trucks while being in the environment that they will be using them.
Classroom Training
Lecture style training or classroom training offers information about the truck which the driver would be driving. This training covers aspects such as load and weight capacity, height, how to charge or fuel the lift truck. It includes how to gauge the time on the engine as well as 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 minimum time requirement for the training.
Supervised Driving
The operator of a lift truck will need to learn to drive the machinery while being supervised. The supervised driving needs to take place in an environment which resembles the current environment which the driver works in. This atmosphere should include the type of terrain she will be traveling on, have similar pedestrian and vehicle traffic close by, and similar surrounding structures nearby as well. There is no required minimum number of hours the operator needs to drive while being supervised.