The totally free site for people who are involved with fork lift trucks

My name is Tony Sellick and I have been continuously involved in the fork lift truck business since 1970. I started at Yale Fork Lifts in the drawing office and left when I was training manager in 1980.

I ran my own training company, AES Training Services, from 1980 to 2002 but the business is now run by Dot Bailey. The idea of this site is to correct some of the "urban myths" about fork lift truck operator training.

I have also taken the opportunity of including a lot of technical information relating to fork lift trucks which should be of use to people such as instructors and the like. To access this information click here.

One of the problems that instructors and training companies come across all the time is the general lack of knowledge in industry relating to fork lift operator training and testing. Over the years, several myths have built up around the subject and this web site seeks to put some of those right.

First let's deal with the fork lift truck operator's licence. There is a lot of confusion about this as, in reality, there is no such thing as a "licence". Everyone refers to it as a licence including employers but in fact it is called a certificate of basic training and is issued to all those who attend a training course and pass the test described on this site. A person does not need a licence to operate a fork lift truck: at least not in the same way as one requires a car licence. You do, however, have to be trained in order to comply with section 2 (c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act and also the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, (PUWER). The proof that a person has attended a basic training course is in the form of a certificate which will be supplied by the training company involved. It is this document that is usually called a licence as its easier to refer to it in that manner.

Some training companies also issue a small plastic covered card - sometimes with a photograph attached - but this is just for the convenience of their customers. These are much less significant in law because they are not worded in the same way as a certificate of basic training. If an operator has one however, s/he should make sure that it is kept as it is proof that training has been carried out and it may be accepted by a new employer, at least to start with! In addition, if an operator works away from his/her main place of employment it can be used to show the new company that the person has been trained. Many companies employing outside contractors will insist on seeing such a document before they will allow a person to operate trucks on their premises.

The A4 sized certificate that one receives should be preserved at all cost as this is the "licence". Note that this is normally issued to companies and it is up to the employer to decide whether or not to give it to the employee. One does not have a legal right to demand it from an employer. It should also noted that if it gets lost it may not be easy to obtain a replacement if at all!

In April 2006 the RTITB started a new scheme which should make replacing certificates much easier. This is known as NORS - (National Operator Registration Scheme). Click here for more details.

When a certificate is issued to a successful operator it should not use the word "Competence". It should read "Certificate of basic training". The accrediting bodies such as the Road Transport Industry Training Board, will not allow accredited training companies to use the word "Competence" on certificates. The whole point about the certificate of basic training is that it proves, or is supposed to prove, that the person has attended a course of basic training of correct duration for their experience and truck type and has passed all parts of the test at the end of it. This is the document that the authorities will want to see in the event of an accident or near miss reported under the RIDDOR regulations.

The other point that requires some clarification is the subject of refresher training. Again there are no specific times laid down for refresher training although it is strongly recommended. The ACoP for fork lifts states that refresher training should be provided but leaves the employer to decide when that should be. As a general rule most employers would seek to arrange for refresher training somewhere between 3 and 5 years after the basic training. In the NORS scheme, registration lasts for a period of 3 years.

To summarise. In the event of an accident or investigation the authorities will ask to see the certificate of basic training. They will then possibly ask for proof of other training such as that designed for special attachments or unusual working conditions etc. They will also want to know about the course durations to see if they correspond with those laid down by the accrediting bodies. If they do not, it may be deemed that the training was insufficient and a prosecution might follow. If you are booking training with a company ask about this and get them to put it in writing if in doubt. (Be particularly aware of one day courses as these are only approved for refresher training for previously certificated operators). The next question will almost certainly be related to the length of time that has passed since the training was provided. Providing these are in order then it should prevent a prosecution for failing to provide training. Note that the maximum fine for an offence under section 2 (c) of the act can be unlimited! Contrary to popular belief, people in a company can not be sent to jail under section 2 of the HSE Act except for some quite rare, specific offences.

One last thing. It is the EMPLOYER who has to give permission for an employee to operate fork lifts at the company and this should be in writing. Neither the instructor or the training company have the authority to do this in law.