Forklift Practical Test Checklist for Employers

Who has to evaluate forklift operators

The employer does. Paragraph (l) of the standard says the employer must make sure each operator is competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as shown by successful completion of the training and evaluation. Training is a mix of formal instruction, practical training and an evaluation of the operator's performance in the workplace. A written quiz on its own does not show how someone drives.

• The evaluator must have the knowledge, training and experience to train operators and judge their competence. OSHA does not name a specific credential.
• Trainees may operate a truck only under the direct supervision of such a person, and only where it does not endanger the trainee or other employees.
• Training from a previous employer can reduce what you need to teach. Under paragraph (l)(5), an operator does not have to repeat a topic if the earlier training fits your truck and conditions and the operator has been evaluated as competent.
• The evaluation is specific to the truck types and the workplace. Moving an operator to a different type of truck is one of the triggers for refresher training and a new evaluation.

For hiring, this means a card from a previous job tells you the candidate has been trained before, and you still run your own evaluation. Our guide on how to hire a forklift operator explains where the evaluation fits between offer and first shift.

Set up the test before the operator arrives

• Use the same type of truck the operator will run on the job, with any attachment they will use.
• Pick a course that matches real work: a straight travel lane, a turn, a blind corner, a ramp if your site has one, a rack location and, if relevant, a trailer at a dock.
• Use real or representative loads that sit within the truck's rated capacity.
• Clear the area of foot traffic, or mark it off, and brief anyone nearby.
• Print the checklist so you can mark each item as you watch. Scoring from memory afterward is less reliable.

Pre-use inspection items

OSHA requires trucks to be examined before being placed in service, at least daily, and after each shift when they run around the clock. Ask the operator to do the inspection while you watch, talking through each item. These items follow the order in OSHA's pre-operation guidance.

Visual check, key off

• Fluid levels: oil, water and hydraulic fluid
• Leaks, cracks and visible damage, including hydraulic hoses and mast chains
• Tire condition and, for pneumatic tires, pressure
• Forks, including the top clip retaining pin and heel
• Load backrest extension and finger guards
• Safety decals and the data plate, legible and matching the truck and attachments
• Operator manual on the truck and legible
• Operator compartment free of grease and debris
• Seat belt and other safety devices
• Electric trucks: cables, battery and electrolyte. Propane trucks: tank mounting, relief valve and leaks

Operational check, truck running

• Accelerator linkage and inching control, if equipped
• Service brake and parking brake
• Steering
• Forward and reverse drive
• Tilt, hoist and lowering, and any attachment controls
• Horn, lights and backup alarm, if equipped
• Hour meter
• Any unusual noise or vibration, which the operator should say they would report

End this part with a question: "What would you do if one of these failed?" The answer should be to take the truck out of service, record the problem and report it to a supervisor. OSHA also links to sample daily checklists from that page and notes they are a guide only.

Driving and load-handling items

Watch the operator run the course at a normal working pace. Items marked with a paragraph number come from the operating rules in the standard. The rest are common good practice that your trainer can adjust to your trucks.

Getting on and moving off

• Mounts and dismounts using the handholds and steps, facing the truck
• Fastens the seat belt, where the truck has one
• Checks around the truck before moving

Traveling

• Keeps to a speed that allows a safe stop
• Slows and sounds the horn at cross aisles and other places where vision is blocked (n)(4)
• Looks in the direction of travel, and travels with the load trailing when it blocks the view forward (n)(4)
• Keeps about three truck lengths behind the truck ahead (n)(1)
• On grades steeper than 10 percent, drives a loaded truck with the load upgrade (n)(7)(i)
• On any grade, keeps the load tilted back and raised only enough to clear the surface (n)(7)(iii)
• Watches for people on foot and stops when someone enters the path
• Carries the load low and tilted back while traveling

Picking up and placing loads

• Handles only stable, safely arranged loads within the rated capacity on the data plate (o)(1) and (o)(2)
• Approaches the pallet squarely and stops before the rack or stack
• Sets fork spacing to the load and places the forks as far under it as possible, with the mast tilted back to stabilize it (o)(5)
• Lifts and tilts smoothly, without jerking
• Does not tilt an elevated load forward except to pick up or set down a load over a rack or stack (o)(6)
• Raises and lowers loads while stopped rather than while traveling
• Places the load squarely and backs out with the forks clear
• At a dock, confirms the highway truck's brakes are set and its rear wheels are chocked (k)(1), or that your dock lock is engaged, and that the dockboard is secured (n)(11) before driving in

Parking

• Lowers the forks fully, sets controls to neutral, shuts off power and sets the brake (m)(5)
• Blocks the wheels when parked on an incline
• Keeps fire aisles, access to stairways and fire equipment clear (m)(14)

Scoring and record-keeping

Keep scoring simple so two evaluators would mark the same performance the same way.

• Mark each item as done correctly, needs coaching or not done.
• Agree in advance which items fail the evaluation on their own, such as traveling with a raised load, skipping the seat belt, or failing to stop for a pedestrian.
• Write a note on anything marked "needs coaching" and retest those items before sign-off.
• Ask a few questions on the topics the course did not cover, such as refueling or charging, and stability.

Paragraph (l)(6) requires the employer to certify that each operator has been trained and evaluated. The certification must include the operator's name, the date of training, the date of the evaluation and the identity of the person who did the training or evaluation. Keep the completed checklist with that record.

When to re-evaluate forklift operators

Under paragraph (l)(4), operators need refresher training and an evaluation of its effectiveness when any of these happens:

• The operator is seen operating the truck unsafely
• The operator has an accident or a near miss
• An evaluation shows the operator is not operating safely
• The operator is assigned a different type of truck
• A change in the workplace could affect safe operation

Even without a trigger, each operator's performance must be evaluated at least once every three years. Put the due dates on a calendar when you sign off a new operator.

How Optihire Staffing can help you hire forklift operators

Optihire Staffing does not train or certify operators. We recruit forklift operators and other logistics and warehousing staff for employers across the United States, and we screen candidates on the trucks they have run and their safety habits so the people who reach your evaluation are likely to pass it. Our list of interview questions to ask a forklift operator shows what we listen for.

With contingency recruitment, you pay a recruitment fee only when a successful candidate is hired, under terms agreed in writing before any work starts. Submit your hiring requirements to get started.