Forklift Truck Training Course
Operators should undergo training on an industrial-powered lift truck, or forklift in order to receive forklift driver certification. The training program should be specific to the lift truck type and attachments that you will be utilizing on the job site. Training must also reflect the atmosphere in which you would be working. Lift truck safety should be a top priority for both the trainer and the operator trainee.

General Credentials
Prior to assuming any operator duties, all lift truck operators must undergo both training and certification. Basic credentials for driving a forklift include an age minimum of eighteen years and the physical ability to control and operate the unit safely.

Pedestrian Safety
The top concern of any lift truck operator must be the safety of pedestrians. Pedestrians in the vicinity of the forklift are at risk of injury or death from getting hit by the equipment or its additions. Pedestrians must always have the right of way, and lift truck operators should honk their horns when working near pedestrians or at intersections or crosswalks.

Weather Conditions
Lots of accidents involving forklifts take place at loading docks. These areas become hazardous if rain leaks in through open dock doors causing an extremely slippery floor. Wet floor conditions create a danger and drivers must be aware of potential hazards when working in loading dock areas.

Certification
Certification courses for lift truck drivers consist of both classroom instruction and practical training that can be tailored for the specific requirements of each work setting. Training should be undertaken on the kind of forklift and attachments which would be used by the trainee in the workplace.

Mishaps
Each year around 100 people die in forklift accidents. There are 100,000 forklift injuries reported every year. Nearly all of these accidents can be avoided with attention to safety and proper operator training.