Forklift Training
Lift trucks are particularly dangerous in the workplace. Between 2001/2002 to 2005/2006, 21190 injuries involving forklift trucks were reported. Of these 94 were fatal, 5758 were major and15338 resulted in people being off work for 3 or more days. On average forklift trucks are involved in 24% of all workplace transport accidents.
Accidents involving forklift trucks are often due to poor supervision and a lack of training.
The Health and Safety Commission has published an Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and guidance called Rider-operated lift trucks: Operator training. This set the legal minimum standard of basic training people should receive before they are allowed to operate certain types of lift truck – even if they operate the equipment occasionally.
If you employ anyone to operate a lift truck covered by the ACOP, you should make sure that operators have been trained to the correct standards.
