Best Practices

Lift Truck Operators: Refresher Training for All Staff Levels

By Rudy Cuevas

Warehouse managers know that training is required by OSHA for any employees who will operate a lift truck. In 1999, OSHA updated its rule to cite specific subject areas that training must cover, and to require that all lift truck operators be trained and evaluated prior to operating a lift truck. Since then, it has become standard practice to ensure that operators are properly trained.

Most lift truck manufacturers offer tailored training programs that are specific to a company’s needs and conducted on site. These training programs continue to evolve with new technologies and are now available on DVD. Training has demonstrated it can lead to substantial benefits, including reducing incidents and incident-related injuries, improving employee morale by raising operator confidence, reducing product damage, minimizing costly equipment repairs, and increasing overall lift truck uptime and productivity.

However, warehouse managers may not be aware that refresher training is an option for employees who have been trained previously and only need to be updated in certain aspects of lift truck operation, either as a response to a lift truck incident or to expand the operator’s training for a new lift truck. Refresher training focuses on specific needs when an operator has been found competent in other aspects of lift truck operation and does not require review of a comprehensive program.

Not Just for New Employees

An employer must call for refresher training if:

an operator has had a poor evaluation or has violated company safety rules;

the operator has been involved in an incident or close call;

a different class of lift truck has been assigned to the operator;

the work area, such as rack configuration, has been changed or the operator has been assigned to a different work area.

While companies today are more diligent about lift truck training and documentation for new employees, warehouse managers must consider the benefits of training temporary employees, along with the benefits of refresher training. OSHA mandates that all lift truck operators be reevaluated and recertified at least once every 3 years. Evaluation and certification for both new and experienced employees is the responsibility of the employer.

Evaluation can be conducted through:

discussion with the lift truck operator about his/her performance;
observation of the employee operating the truck;
administration of a written test or a performance test in the warehouse;
written documentation of previous training that meets the employer’s requirements.

Because an employer is responsible for certifying lift truck operator and documenting that the operator has been properly trained and evaluated on their performance, an employer must conduct thorough evaluations. An employer must require refresher training for any operator who does not meet performance standards for lift truck operation. An employer must call for refresher training if:

an operator has had a poor evaluation or has violated company safety rules;
the operator has been involved in an incident or close call;
a different class of lift truck has been assigned to the operator;
the work area, such as rack configuration, has been changed or the operator has been assigned to a different work area.

Refresher training is only needed in relevant topics, so training subjects should cover only what is relevant to the operators in that particular session. If training was scheduled because the operator will switch to a counterbalanced lift truck instead of an orderpicker, training should cover counterbalanced-truck-specific information. OSHA rules state that if an operator has been evaluated and is found competent on a specific topic that was previously taught, duplicate training is not required.

Employers can use lectures, videos, demonstrations or practice sessions to successfully complete refresher training. If training is not conducted, is not adequate or is not properly documented, OSHA can levy fines on a company that is not compliant.

New Staff Requires Training

A company may hire a new lift truck operator who was recently trained by a previous employer. According to OSHA, the company must evaluate this new operator to ensure that the previous training is appropriate for the new company. Reevaluation is important to ensure that the operator received thorough training and that it is relevant to the work performed with the new employer.

If the operator is found to be competent in most areas but needs updates on some specific areas, then refresher training is an option that will avoid covering topics and information the employee is already knowledgeable about.

Companies also are responsible for training and evaluating temporary workers who will operate lift trucks. Companies that require seasonal labor help may work with an employment agency to bring in additional lift truck operators. Whether operators are trained by an agency, it is still the responsibility of the employer to evaluate and certify the temporary employee.

As with year-round staff, the employer must certify that temporary lift truck operators meet training requirements and the performance standards of the company. The training and evaluation of temporary workers also must be properly documented to meet OSHA regulations.

Operator Evaluation

The way lift truck operator evaluation is conducted is left open to the employer, and specific criteria that operators must meet for certification is not formally available as part of OSHA’s standards. The employer must use discretion to determine when a trainee is fully prepared to operate a lift truck in the facility.

To help warehouse managers evaluate lift truck drivers, lift truck manufacturers may offer appraisal checklists that list items to consider when determining whether a driver has been satisfactorily trained. These checklists include items that were covered in training sessions, then further practiced by the trainee. The checklist can serve as a guideline to help an employer document lift truck training and conduct a thorough evaluation of an operator’s performance.

Conclusion

A dealer can conduct training sessions that are tailored to a company’s specific needs, as well as the needs of the personnel involved in the training session. Properly trained employees better understand the operation of a lift truck, resulting in more efficient operations. An effective lift truck operator training program can minimize downtime and increase productivity, benefiting the employee, the company and the customer.

Rudy Cuevas is corporate safety administrator for Associated Material Handling Industries Inc. Cuevas is experienced in lift truck safety training, including conducting train-the-trainer classes, operator training sessions and refresher training courses, and helping companies improve their current safety programs. Cuevas holds a bachelor’s degree in Occupational Health and Safety from Northern Illinois University, DeKalb. From August 2005 to July 2006, he served as vice president of ASSE’s Northern Illinois University Student Section.