OSHA Forklift Certification Study Guide: Powered Industrial Truck Classes, Stability and Safe Operation

OSHA groups powered industrial trucks into seven classes by power source, tire type and design. Training and certification are specific to the type of truck you will operate, so an operator certified on a Class I rider truck is not automatically certified on a Class IV cushion-tire truck. Know which class covers which equipment.[1][3]

The employer is responsible for certifying that each operator is competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, demonstrated by the successful completion of training and an evaluation. Training must be specific to the type of truck the operator will use and to the actual workplace. The most frequently cited OSHA forklift violation is failing to train and certify operators under 29 CFR 1910.178(l).[1][3]

1. Formal instruction: lecture, video, written material, discussion or computer-based learning.[1]
2. Practical training: demonstrations performed by the trainer and hands-on exercises performed by the trainee.[1]
3. Evaluation: an assessment of the operator's performance in the actual workplace.[1]

An operator's performance must be re-evaluated at least once every three years. The certification record must document the operator's name, the date of the training, the date of the evaluation, and the identity of the person who did the training and the evaluation.[1]

A counterbalanced forklift is supported at three points: the two front wheels and the pivot at the center of the rear steer axle. Connecting these three points forms the stability triangle. The truck stays upright only while the combined center of gravity of the truck and its load stays inside that triangle. Raising a load or moving it forward shifts the combined center of gravity, so a load that is safe near the ground can tip the truck when it is raised high.[2][3]

• The data plate (capacity plate) shows the maximum load the truck can carry at the rated load center. Never exceed the data-plate capacity.[1][3]
• Trucks rated at 30,000 lb capacity or less are normally rated at a 24-inch load center. As the load center increases beyond the rated distance, the truck's capacity decreases.[2][3]
• Adding an attachment reduces the truck's rated capacity and moves the load center forward. The data plate must be re-marked, and any modification requires the manufacturer's prior written approval.[1][3]
• Only handle loads that are within the rated capacity of the truck.[1]

A powered industrial truck must be examined before it is placed in service and at least once daily. Where trucks are used round the clock, they must be examined after each shift. A truck found to be defective or unsafe must be taken out of service until it is restored to safe operating condition. The inspection has two parts: a pre-start visual check with the engine off, and an operational check with the engine running.[1][3]

• Pre-start visual check, engine off: fluid levels.[1]
• Leaks under the truck.[1]
• Tire condition.[1]
• The forks, including the top clip retaining pin and the heel of each fork.[1]
• The load backrest extension.[1]
• The safety decals and the data plate, present and legible.[1]
• The seat belt.[1]

• Operational check, engine on: the service brake and the parking brake.[1]
• The steering.[1]
• The horn.[1]
• The lights.[1]
• The drive (directional) control.[1]
• The tilt control.[1]
• The hoist and lowering controls.[1]

• Keep about three truck lengths between your truck and the one ahead, and keep the truck under control at all times. Travel at a speed that lets you stop safely, and slow down on wet or slippery surfaces.[1]
• Slow down and sound the horn at cross aisles and other places where your view is obstructed.[1]
• If the load blocks your forward view, travel with the load trailing (drive in reverse), and always look in the direction of travel.[1]
• When driving up or down a grade steeper than 10 percent, a loaded truck must be driven with the load pointing upgrade. Do not turn on a ramp or grade.[1]
• Travel with the forks low, about 4 to 6 inches off the ground, and the mast tilted back. Never travel with the load raised high.[1]
• Unauthorized personnel must not ride on a forklift, and no one may stand or pass under the elevated forks, whether the forks are loaded or empty.[1]

Beyond tip-over, the major forklift hazards are striking pedestrians, falls from elevated forks, and overloading. Each is controlled by the same habits: keep the load low and stable, sound the horn and slow down where vision is blocked, keep people away from the forks, and never carry more than the data-plate capacity.[1][3]