It is a legal requirement that anybody who operates a forklift truck in the UK is trained to do so safely and evidence is required in the form of a forklift licence.
How to get a forklift license
Forklift training Swindon is delivered by a number of companies, including https://globalflt.com/services/rtitb/fork-lift-truck-training-near-me/swindon/. In order to attend forklift training, you must be at least 16 years old and pass a health and safety assessment.
Often, your employer will determine the type of forklift training you need and book you onto an appropriate course.
Why you need a forklift licence
Employers have a duty of care to provide their employees with adequate instruction, training and supervision to assess workplace risks and operate machinery safely. They must comply with various legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work Act, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.
Forklifts can be very dangerous machines in the hands of inexperienced or untrained operators and training is vital to protect the operator, their colleagues, site visitors and the business’ assets.
Choosing the right training
There are many different training packages for forklift operators and which you attend will depend on your experience, your working environment and the type of machine you will be operating. It is easy to determine which training you need and provided you meet the eligibility criteria of your chosen course, you simply need to proceed through all the modules and pass the tests in order to obtain your forklift license.
What a forklift can and cannot do
Before training, it helps to understand the machine itself. A forklift, sometimes called a fork truck, moves loads over short distances using two metal forks on the front. It is designed for warehouses and distribution centres, where it can lift heavy items to height and manoeuvre in fairly tight spaces.
Forklifts come in many varieties and can run on diesel, petrol or propane. The largest can handle loads of up to 50 tonnes, and some are strong enough to lift cars. That power is exactly why the law requires operators to be properly trained, because a heavy load at height is dangerous in the wrong hands.
A forklift is only one kind of lifting machine. Hoists and winches are better for pulling smaller items upwards or recovering a vehicle stuck in mud, while cranes use chains or ropes to lift much heavier objects. Knowing where the forklift fits among these machines makes it easier to choose the right training and to recognise when a job needs different equipment altogether.
