American Forklift Safety 

Employer's must certify that each operator has been trained and evaluated as requiredby the standard. The certification must include the name of the operator, the date of training, the date of evaluation, and the identity of the person(s) performing the trainingor evaluation. The certificate is imprinted with the company name and must be signedby the operator and the employer/supervisor.

OSHA does not certify, accredit or approve any training programs or trainers. The OSHA regulations clearly describe the required program outlines. Responsibility rests withthe employer to certify that each lift truck operator has received the necessary trainingand has been evaluated and is competent to operate a vehicle.

Lecture and topic coverage, video and or computer station training, written test and practical hands-on exercises training must be provided. Prior to operating a truck in the workplace, the employer must evaluate the operator's performance and determine the operator to be competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely.

Failure of the employer to comply with the new rules can result in expensive fines and loss of insurance coverage.

No. The OSHA standard does not require employees to carry a card. An employer may issue licenses to trained operators. But they are required to keep a record of the training on site.

Refresher training must be provided when:
The operator has received an evaluation that reveals that the operator is not operating the truck safely.The operator has been observed to operate the vehicle in an unsafe manner.The operator has been involved in an accident or near-miss incident.

The responsibility is shared. Staffing agencies are securing Temp. help to employersthat need a certain type of employee. Agencies that send candidates that are safety certified are doing so with the knowing fact that the employee is certified in basic safety rules. Employer's must still conduct a safety class at their facility to ensure that the employee is properly trained on their equipment. ( site-specific).

Anyone with the proper knowledge, experience and training capabilities can be a trainerfor their employer. This person is chosen by the employer who then can purchase a quality training package and thus the training can be done. Many employers prefer to have this done by an outside company but it is not required. Though all documentation must be kept on file for quick reference.You don't have to be a victim of a Train the Trainer package offered by several companies. With a little research this can be done in house.