Forklift Training & Certificate

It’s important to note that there is technically no such thing as an official forklift certification issued by OSHA. Instead, “forklift certification” is a commonly used term to describe forklift safety training. After completing a course, participants receive a certificate of completion, which shows their employer they’ve been properly trained in safe forklift operation.

This training covers topics such as safety procedures, equipment inspections, and proper operating practices, helping employers stay compliant with OSHA requirements.

Construction sites, warehouses, and shipment facilities are already hazardous, but when you add forklifts to the equation, those workplace dangers double or even triple. One of the best ways to prevent injuries, fatalities, and accidents caused by forklifts is through safety training.

Forklift safety training covers common hazards you’ll find at your job site and how to prevent them, which includes learning about:

• Proper personal protective equipment to use
• Appropriate hand signaling and rigging
• Operator safety best practices
• Lockout/Tagout procedures

Of course, if you’re a forklift operator, the majority of your training will surround safe operations of the forklifts and how to safely work in the vicinity of other people and machinery.  

On the other hand, if you simply work near forklifts, your training will be primarily focused on related hazards to look out for and appropriate personal protective equipment to wear around forklifts.

Forklift operator certification courses will teach you how to safely operate powered industrial trucks (forklifts) and satisfy compliance regulations. Our training covers forklift operations, mechanics, attachments, and safety hazards. Upon completion of the course, you’ll know how to circumvent common safety risks to keep both yourself and those around you safe while operating a stand-up forklift.

OSHA requires all sit-down forklift operators and stand-up forklift operators to complete approved training to reduce the number of workplace injuries in warehouses. Once you pass the final exam, you’ll need to exhibit your forklift skills through hands-on training, where an instructor will evaluate your performance. Once both parts are completed successfully, participants receive their certificate of completion, confirming they are trained to operate forklifts safely.

Costs for forklift training can vary depending on the course you take, format (online or in-person), and course length. Online courses are typically more affordable since they eliminate travel and scheduling issues, while in-person sessions may cost more due to instructor and facility expenses.

OSHAcampus® offers flexible online forklift training programs designed to meet compliance needs at a reasonable cost. Discounts may also be available for bulk purchases.

OSHA outlines its forklift safety guidelines in OSHA Forklift Standards, Part 1910, Subpart N. It refers to forklifts as powered industrial trucks primarily used to move materials. You can read the guidelines on OSHA’s website. 

In general, all new and used forklifts must adhere to required design and construction regulations. You can find these guidelines in the “American National Standard for Powered Industrial Trucks, Part II, ANSI B56.1-1969.”

As with cost, duration of a certification course will vary depending on if you’re taking it in-person or online. Online courses allow you to work at your own speed. Our courses do vary in length, but it should take you between two to three hours, but if you are familiar with forklifts, you can finish it sooner.

To become certified to operate a forklift in the United States, you must be at least eighteen years old. This age requirement applies to both training and certification.

You need to show competence in driving a forklift truck by taking refresher training every three years after completing your initial forklift operator certification. OSHA requires this refresher training for all forklift license renewals. You also will have to be re-evaluated if you are:

• Linked to an accident or near-miss incident
• Seen operating the equipment unsafely
• Assigned to another type of forklift