Forklift Safety: Look, Load, Drive
5-minute toolbox talk · 2:35 video + discussion, quiz and sign-off · free printable sheet with sign-off table.
Key points
- Only trained, evaluated and authorized operators drive forklifts.
- Check the truck before every shift. A truck with a safety fault is taken out of service.
- Never lift more than the capacity on the data plate. Keep the load low and tilted back while you travel.
- Wear the seat belt. In a tip-over, stay in the seat, hold on and lean away from the fall.
- Pedestrians: make eye contact, use the walkways, and never walk under raised forks.
Step by step
- Do the pre-use inspection and record it.
- Fasten the seat belt and check that the path is clear.
- Approach the load slowly, set the forks to the pallet width and lift it.
- Travel with the forks low and the mast tilted back. Look in the direction of travel.
- Slow down at corners, doors and crossings, and sound the horn.
- On a ramp, keep the load on the uphill side.
- Park: forks fully lowered, controls in neutral, parking brake on, power off, key out.
Never
- Never give anyone a ride on the forks or the truck.
- Never let anyone stand or walk under raised forks.
- Never drive with a load that blocks your view — drive in reverse, or use a spotter.
Who needs this training
- Forklift and other powered industrial truck operators.
- Pedestrians who work in areas where forklifts move: warehouse, dock, production and yard staff.
- Supervisors, who authorise operators and plan traffic routes.
What the rule says
In US general industry, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 covers powered industrial trucks, including forklifts.
Operators must be trained (classroom and practical) and evaluated in the workplace before they operate a truck on their own. Their performance must be evaluated at least once every three years, and refresher training is required after an accident or near miss, unsafe driving, a poor evaluation, a different type of truck, or a change in the workplace.
Trucks must be examined before being placed in service, at least daily — or after each shift when used around the clock. Under US federal child labour rules, forklift operators must be at least 18.
Common mistakes
- Driving with the forks raised high.
- Turning on a ramp or slope.
- Speeding through doors and blind corners.
- Lifting a load heavier than the capacity on the data plate, or with an attachment the plate does not cover.
- Pedestrians assuming the driver has seen them.
Talk about it
- Where on our site do forklifts and people come closest together?
- What do we do when a truck fails its pre-use check?
- Which loads here are close to the truck's capacity?
Quick check
1. How do you drive down a ramp with a load?
2. The forklift starts to tip over. What do you do?
3. Who may drive the forklift?
Questions people ask
Do you need a licence to drive a forklift?
In the US there is no government licence. The employer must train, evaluate and certify each operator for the type of truck and workplace. Other countries have their own rules.
How often is forklift refresher training required?
In the US, each operator's performance is evaluated at least every three years, and refresher training is required after an accident or near miss, unsafe operation, a poor evaluation, a new type of truck or a workplace change.
What is the stability triangle?
The three points that support a counterbalance forklift: the two front wheels and the centre of the rear axle. If the combined centre of gravity of the truck and load moves outside this triangle — from a heavy or high load, a sharp turn or a slope — the truck can tip over.
Why is the seat belt so important?
In a tip-over, most operators who die are thrown from the cab and crushed by the truck. The seat belt keeps you inside the protective frame.
Based on OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 (powered industrial trucks); OSHA Powered Industrial Trucks eTool. This talk is a summary for training. Your site's written procedure and your supervisor's instructions come first.
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