What is the age Requirement for Forklift Operation
The HSC Approved Code of Practice and Guidance, detailed below, clearly states that
“Children under minimum school leaving age should never operate lift trucks.”
It also states that operators of forklift trucks on docks premises must be at least 18.
These are the only clear age related statements in official documents. However, guidance goes on to say that young persons, under 18, often lack experience and maturity and are at greater risk than older employees and should not be allowed to operate forklift trucks without adequate supervision.
Many trainers will not accept trainee operators under the age of 17.
The minimum ages specified in road traffic legislation apply when forklift trucks are operated on public roads. Currently this would be age 17 for trucks up to 3.5 tonnes gvw, 18 up to 7.5 tonnes gvw, and 21 for heavier equipment.
What Training Requirements are needed for Hand Pallet Trucks
Hand pallet trucks, or rather their operators, are responsible for many accidents in the workplace. Training requirements should not be under-estimated.
Regulation 9 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER 98) makes it very clear that an employer must provide adequate training for all persons who use work equipment. This includes training in how the equipment should be used, the risks involved and precautions to be taken.
The same regulation makes it clear that those who supervise or manage the use of such equipment must also receive adequate, similar training.
All the various types of hand-controlled pallet trucks would fall into this category, from the simple manual pump truck through to quite complex electric counterbalance stackers. The degree of training required, and the time it will take, will vary according to the type of equipment and the tasks to be performed.
For the more basic equipment it may be possible to provide in-house training. This still needs to be properly organised and formally recorded. If in any doubt professional advice should be sought. Although the HSC publication L117 (see below) is for rider-operated lift trucks, the basic principles and training requirements described should still be applied to hand operated equipment.
How Long Does a Forklift Licence Last?
There is no such thing as a forklift truck driver’s licence! There is no central forklift licensing authority.
Every employer has a responsibility, under Regulation 9 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER 98), to ensure that employees have adequate training before they use work equipment. The training required in order to operate most forklift trucks is explained in the special Code of Practice detailed below.
The operator should receive training on each type of equipment he or she may be required to operate. Such training may be provided by an in-house instructor or an external trainer. The training provider should then issue a certificate, or other document, giving details of the results of that training. This document is not a licence.
The employer is required to give written authority for any employee to actually operate the equipment. If an individual document is issued this is the closest document to a licence, but it is not a licence. The employer alone will determine how long this authority remains valid, but it is good practice to ensure that the performance of all operators is formally monitored.
Legal Requirements for Forklift Truck Operator Refresher Training
There is no legal requirement for forklift truck operators to receive routine refresher training. Such training may be needed in certain circumstances. The HSC Approved Code of Practice and Guidance (L117) states the following:
“There is no specific requirement to provide refresher training after set intervals, but even trained and experienced lift-truck operators need to be re-assessed from time to time to ensure that they continue to operate lift trucks safely. This assessment, which should form part of a firm’s normal monitoring procedures and be formally time-tabled to ensure that it is done at reasonable intervals, will indicate whether any further training is needed.”
In addition to routine monitoring formal re-assessment is likely to be needed where operators:
- have not used trucks for some time.
- are occasional users.
- appear to have developed unsafe working practices.
- have had an accident, or a near miss.
- have a change to their working practices or environment.
The FLTA advises that refresher training, if required, should not follow a set programme. It should be designed to overcome the weaknesses highlighted by the monitoring/assessment process.
Are Overseas Forklift Licences Valid?
There is no such thing as a forklift truck driver’s licence in the UK. It follows therefore that a fork truck licence issued in any other country cannot be valid in the UK.
Some countries do issue licences to forklift truck operators. It is quite common for an individual from one of these countries, who is seeking employment in UK as a forklift truck operator, to offer this licence, with an authenticated translation, as proof of their ability to operate.
Whilst there may be no reason to doubt the authenticity of such documentation it would be unwise for any potential employer to accept it at face value. At the very least the skills required to obtain that licence may not have been appropriate to either the kind of truck or the operating environment for which the individual is to be employed.
Under these circumstances it would be best to treat the foreign licence as though it were a training certificate from an unknown, unaccredited trainer – with caution. Arrange to have the potential employee formally assessed and then provide any additional training that may be required.
Remember, the employer is required to give written authority for any employee to actually operate the equipment. The employer alone will determine how long this authority remains valid and it is good practice to ensure that the performance of all operators is formally monitored on a regular basis.
What are the Medical Standards for operators of Forklift Trucks?
It is important that all forklift truck operators have an appropriate level of medical fitness for the work they are expected to undertake. Employers who have any doubt should seek professional advice.
Medical considerations are detailed on pages 8 and 9 of HSG6 (see below).
This guidance booklet states:
It is good practice for all operators and potential operators to be screened for fitness before employment and again at regular intervals in middle age. Examination at age 40 and thereafter at five-yearly intervals up to age 65 is recommended. Operators over 65 should be screened annually. Examination is also recommended in all cases after an accident or sickness absence of more than one month, or after a shorter period if it appears likely that the illness may affect fitness to operate.
What Is the Maximum Gradient for a Lift Truck?
Operating
As a general rule all gradients should be avoided. They are a hazard to any forklift truck operation. If they cannot be avoided then the gradient must be met head on – straight up or down the slope. If the slope is icy or wet, or if the ground is uneven or soft, the hazard will increase. Most laden counterbalance trucks should cope with a gradient of 5%. Crossing any gradient sideways will increase the risk of the truck overturning. Loading or unloading of vehicles should take place on firm, level ground.
If difficult operating conditions cannot be avoided consider the use of equipment designed for rough terrain or off-road use.
Workplace Design
Problems with gradients can be minimized by considering the risks during the design stage of new builds, or through modifications. The British Industrial Truck Association (BITA) provides technical guidance that covers gradients of general floor surfaces, doorways, ramps and drainage gullies, For example they quote 12.5% as a maximum gradient for ramps. However, wherever possible, the specific truck specification sheet should also be consulted.
Are Thorough Examinations a Legal Requirement?
A Thorough Examination is quite like an MOT test for a car or truck. It is a legal requirement.
A Thorough Examination is a statutory requirement for lifting equipment under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER 98), Regulation 9. It has the same purpose as an MOT inspection by providing a report which identifies that the lifting equipment is safe to use, and/or advice that needs to be followed to avoid risks in use. It is just as important as an MOT – probably more so!
There is a legal requirement for a Thorough Examination to be carried out on forklift trucks at least once a year, and often more frequently depending on conditions of use.
Using a Forklift Truck on Public Roads
It is not true that if you are just going to cross a road from one site to another, or offload a lorry outside on the road, you do not have to register, tax and insure your forklift truck. That is an old wives’ tale!
If, on the task to be performed, the forklift truck will travel more than 1000 yards, then it must comply with Construction and Use Regulations or have Type Approval. This involves all sorts of legal requirements and probable quite major modifications to the truck and should not be undertaken lightly. Compliance may become quite complex.
However, if, on the task to be performed, the forklift Truck will travel less than 1000 yards, on public roads, between sites or for unloading vehicles, then there is special dispensation from compliance with the Construction and Use Regulations. In most circumstances it can be driven with little modification; but it must be registered and insured. Compliance may be relatively simple but understanding all the rules is not straightforward. The rules cover items such as excise duty, lighting, number plates, operator requirements and even what is a public road.
The information required to understand all of the requirements needs to be obtained from a number of different government departments. The FLTA has brought this together in a comprehensive technical bulletin. The bulletin, which is detailed below, is available for purchase. However all FLTA member companies have access to this document and will be familiar with the requirements.
