Regulations made under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) require that an employer ensures that a forklift operator is deemed a “competent person.” A good forklift training program will teach employees the knowledge and skills required for safe lift truck operation as laid out in the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development’s Guidelines for the Safe Operation and Maintenance of Powered Lift Trucks. Read on to learn three things you need to know about forklift training, and contact Acute Safety & Safety Services for comprehensive health and safety training, on-site safety services, and consulting services.
Forklift Training – 3 Things You Need to Know
Who Needs Forklift Training?
Clause 25(2)(a) of the OHSA obligates an employer to “provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker to protect the health or safety of the worker.” Regulation 851 is more specific and states that a lifting device is only to be operated by a competent person, which is defined as one who:
- is qualified because of their knowledge, training, and experience to organize the work and its performance,
- is familiar with the provisions of this Act and the regulations that apply to the work, and
- has knowledge of any potential or actual danger to health or safety in the workplace.
An employer, therefore, has a clear duty to establish the competence of any worker who is to operate a forklift with relevant and comprehensive training. It’s pretty straightforward, but must not be overlooked for the safety of everyone involved.
Anyone who will be operating a forklift needs the proper training.
What Does Forklift Training Involve?
The OHSA states that through training, an operator should learn the following: “the fundamentals of powered lift trucks, how environmental conditions can affect lift-truck performance, basic lift-truck operating skills, and the rules and practices for safe lift-truck operation.” Additionally, “the training should include practice sessions, under the supervision of a qualified trainer, on load handling, maneuvering, travelling, stopping, and starting.”
ACUTE’s lift truck training is an interactive eight-hour training program wherein your staff will learn the essential principles involved in the safe operation of a forklift. Participants will learn about the limitations that affect truck stability and safe loading criteria, and prospective operators will be able to recognize the hazards that present a risk to themselves and those around the truck. ACUTE’s training provides a complete understanding of the fundamentals of handling high-risk loads as well as the legal responsibilities associated with lift trucks.
Specific forklift training program topics include:
- Classes and types of lift trucks
- Relevant legislation
- Lift truck features and safety equipment
- Basic hydraulics
- Pre-operational inspection
- Start-up (mounting and dismounting)
- Stability principles of lift trucks
- Travelling without a load
- Travelling with a load
- Capacity and load charts
- Load handling (picking up a load)
- Load lifting and handling—elevated level–stacking
- Operating hazards and precautions
- Refueling (propane exchange only) and recharging (battery hazards)
- Shutdown procedures (parking)
You will learn through classroom interaction with experienced instructors, exploring legislative requirements, demonstration and hands-on training on a specific class of lift truck, practical skills testing evaluation on the class of lift truck used at your workplace, and detailed handouts, videos, and quizzes.
Practical training will ensure you know what you’re doing behind the wheel.
Forklift Training – When and Where?
The beauty of this course is that ACUTE conducts the training at your facility to ensure the best custom training for your staff. Completing the training on-site will also help to save you travel costs and the additional time needed to travel to a training facility. You can also request ACUTE’s training checklist to make sure you and your employees stay up to date.
It also allows for a first-hand look at various factors that may place those who work in the vicinity of a lift truck at risk. Once the training is complete, the following measures are suggested:
- For each potential source of harm or injury noted in the hazard identification (above), prepare written rules and procedures for preventing accidents and injuries.
- Ensure that all supervisors and workers who work around lift trucks have been informed of the hazards, instructed in the rules and procedures to avoid harm, and know where the written rules and procedures are located.
- inform supervisors and workers of any revisions to the rules and procedures arising from changes in the work.
Contact ACUTE today for more information on training courses, or our consulting and on-site services.
Trust ACUTE For Your Forklift Training Needs
Hands-on, practical confined space training is the best way to keep employers and workers safe in the workplace! ACUTE is dedicated to workplace safety and understands the importance of course and training provider approval. ACUTE offers many training courses to help workers, employers, and everyone else involved stay safe on the job.
You can trust ACUTE to help your business understand your training challenges while also taking care of the most crucial aspect of a safety program: providing unparalleled tailoring and customer service. Here are just a few things you can expect when training with ACUTE:
- Open Door Instructor-Student Partnership – ACUTE’s training services emphasize client participation. Staff want to build relationships with clients and serve as a touchstone for advice anytime moving forward.
- Serving Your Team and Industry – With a vast array of clients in manufacturing, construction, health, academic, and government agencies, ACUTE brings the best safety practices from across the spectrum to your workplace.
- 100 Years Combined Experience – ACUTE provides comprehensive health and safety training, on-site safety services, and consulting services. With over 100 years of combined experience, our staff offer more than theoretical or abstract ideas. ACUTE offers solutions.
- Track Record of Success – ACUTE is rated 4.9/5 stars on Google reviews, demonstrating a commitment to our clients, quality, and passion for training.
ACUTE is located in Waterloo, Ontario, and services customers from cities such as Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, Milton, Kitchener, London, Guelph, and others across Ontario.
