Forklift trainer certification trains forklift operators to become instructors. Candidates for forklift trainer certification must have satisfactory forklift driving skills and a thorough knowledge of their machinery. Typically, the training takes place at a community college or equipment sales facility. In some cases, a person can become an instructor by following the program guidelines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Some companies that manufacture forklifts and other industrial equipment provide training and trainer programs to interested individuals. These are practical, hands-on courses. Local community colleges, junior colleges, and technical or vocational schools commonly have forklift trainer certification programs as well. These are usually held on campus in a face-to-face class setting.
In either case, you will have to register for the course, pay tuition and fees, and buy any books or other materials. Course length and schedules vary from program to program. If you complete the program with satisfactory participation, demonstration, and test scores, you earn your forklift trainer certification.
Since students in forklift trainer certification programs are assumed to have previous experience as forklift operators, instructor programs typically focus on safety issues, ethics, teaching techniques, and curriculum. You will be trained to assess a student's abilities through written work and demonstrations of their driving skills. By the end of the class, you should be able to create and implement a program for forklift training of your own.
OSHA has an alternative method of forklift instructor training. Although it is not technically a certification, it is designed to help individuals develop forklift trainer programs. OSHA recommends that you become familiar with the operating manuals of the industrial vehicles in your workplace, since OSHA offers no curriculum of study for specific equipment.
After your self-study of the machinery and manuals, you will develop your own curriculum, according to the topical guidelines required by OSHA. The basic topics are operation and safety. Operation includes instruments and controls, steering and maneuvering, attaching and using the fork, as well as load limitations. Proper use of the forklift, identifying potential hazards, and stability and visibility while carrying loads are all a part of forklift safety.
Specific uses of the forklift in the workplace must be discussed and demonstrated. For example, moving, organizing, and stacking parcels along with navigating the machine in a variety of settings are required topics. Students must also learn to operate the forklift in narrow aisles, around other machinery, and while close to pedestrians.
To have an OSHA approved program, you must cover all topics as delineated in the OSHA guidelines. There are other recommendations regarding assessment and teaching styles. For more information, contact OSHA.