BACKGROUND
An understanding of the term “forklift certification” is needed in this discussion because it is so often used incorrectly when it comes to powered industrial trucks (PITs). Certification is a term used to describe the selection and designation of employees who operate a PIT as being properly trained and knowledgeable to operate the vehicle for the specific employer and employer’s workplace environment. It is not a government issued document and, in fact, there is no prescribed document of “certification” from OSHA or any other governmental authority.
Employers are required to prove, when challenged, that their forklift operators are following the correct safety operation of that vehicle. In order to establish this status for their company, the employer-specific certification of the employee is used and accepted by OSHA. Still, this certification must meet all other associated regulatory standards that apply including the allied topics of fuel types and attachments for the PIT vehicles which are additional requirements to the forklift standard. If operated in environmentally hazardous environments, an employer must also provide additional training on possible specially designed forklifts and needed PPE for those environments.
Another relevant example of this is with order selectors or “cherry pickers” as they are referred to often. These are classed as narrow aisle forklifts and anyone operating them must meet the forklift regulation standard. However, since these forklifts require fall protection and personal fall arrest systems PFAS to be worn by operators of this class of vehicle, additional training in Fall Protection/Arrest must be included for these vehicles when companies who have them are training and certifying that training. Again, this additional training is regularly missed by companies, everywhere.
WHY KNOWLEDGE IS GOLD
Powered Industrial Trucks are extremely dangerous material handling vehicles that require the operator of that vehicle to be well-trained and qualified in all aspects of the vehicle features and safe vehicle operation. It also requires that the operator understand many other associated issues, topics and knowledge of their workplace and the manner in which they will operate the vehicle in their facility. There is no “one size fits all” training program or video series or other means of simply “certifying” employees to be able to operate these heavy, awkward, and cumbersome industrial vehicles. When recruiting for new employees that will be operating these vehicles as part of their job tasks or the main job task they will be performing, it is crucial that the recruiter or hiring manager keep some basic facts in mind before making a decision to hire.
First, it is a mistake to state in a job posting that you are looking for “certified” forklift operators. The term “certified” has no meaning to anyone and no value to any other firm or organization except the immediate employer of the individual. It is not transferrable to another company and should not have any use for the hiring employer. The term certified simply means that the current employer believes that forklift operators in their facility are capable of operating a vehicle correctly and safely for that particular facility, circumstance, load type, and application. Since every single organization is physically different from every other (even with multi-site companies), it is simply wrong for any employer hire a person and place them on a forklift to operate it utilizing that new hire’s past employer’s certification. Operating a PIT at a breakfast cereal manufacturing plant is completely different than operating a PIT at an automotive parts supplier manufacturing facility. Not only are the two sites different in almost every way but even the class, code and use of the vehicle would not be the same. The type of loads that are picked and carried would be extremely different, as well. The idea of equating the skills and experience of the two environments based on a “certification” of one of those environments is the same as equating country music with classical music. They both are “music” but are equal in no other way.
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 requires that operators of powered industrial trucks be trained on a list of related topics AND on the load type, environment, and hazards therein at the facility and in the area of the facility in which they will be operating the vehicle. Therefore, it behooves anyone recruiting forklift operating skills to align the hiring criteria with the basic and special requirements of operating a PIT at the specific site/facility. Compromising on this or short cutting this process will always lead to loss in productivity, compliance, safety policy integrity and the general well-being of the PIT operator and the affected employees in that facility.
WHO IS EXPERIENCED AND WHO IS NOT
Secondly, experience in operating a forklift should be screened in the same manner as was done for computer skills. The most popular question was “how many hours do you spend working with a computer each day” back when desktop computing was relatively new and companies were transitioning to them as the standard equipment of the day for all staff and office workers.
The same question should be posed to the forklift operator candidate. Some candidates will note “forklift experienced” on their resume or application and then the hiring firm finds out after the hire was made and the person is on the job that the new hire really only spent a few minutes a day or only a month operating a forklift at past employers. In fact, that very limited amount of experience on a forklift is often characterized as “untrained” by OSHA.
SCREEN FOR SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE AND OBSERVE FIRST HAND
Thirdly, the candidate should be asked about the type and class of forklift they have operated and have “experience” operating. This information requires the recruiter to know and understand forklift classes and codes, of course, so recruiters need to study up on this information if they don’t know this already. A forklift is not “a forklift” and one type is not the same as all the rest and neither are the skills required to operate a particular type the same as the rest. For example, if your facility has narrow aisle reach lifts, you cannot hire a person who has only driven a counterbalance or sit down forklift to now, without full training on a narrow aisle forklift, start operating the reach lift for you. They are very different types of forklifts and one is nothing like the other in any way. The same is true in the reverse and within the entire 7 class categorization of forklifts.
Most recruiters are not informed on PIT safety regulations and best practices, however, and that is why many mis-hires are made and continued to be made in organizations. Also, proper and adequate operating experience has to be observed with PITs. You cannot assign the label or description of “experienced” to someone without actually observing them operating a vehicle. This observation also should be done in the same time frame as the hiring process………not too far in advance but absolutely done before making a final hiring decision.
If you have forklifts in your facility, have the new hire candidate demonstrate for you that they can actually enter the lift truck and operate the controls and other features as proof that they are indeed experienced. You should have a qualified and knowledgeable recruiter, competent person, or trainer available to evaluate these candidates for this reason. The truth will come out about the individual after just a few seconds when they are engaged with the equipment. The body language, facial expressions, and general gate in their step as they approach the equipment should signal to the evaluator that “someone was telling a bit of a fib when they were applying for the job.” Seriously, those of us who have been in this business for a while can tell within a minute or less whether someone is going to be able to continue with the evaluation or whether they are trying to “learn it as they go.”
WHAT YOUR JOB ADVERTISEMENT SHOULD CLEARLY STATE
Lastly, when actively seeking forklift operators for open positions, the recruiter or hiring manager should be advertising for a specified amount of experience on a forklift PER DAY. They should note in the ad what class, code and capacity of the vehicle that they need someone to operate successfully for them. The ad copy should state the load type and nature of typical loads that are carried with the equipment and how they are carried with the equipment. Ideally, the ad would be targeted to job seekers that have worked in a similar industry and company. The description should also announce any special skills related to the specific equipment such as forklift attachments and power source safety responsibilities. Some companies will designate an employee to take care of propane tank exchanges or battery maintenance on their forklifts. This is an acceptable thing to do but the operators of the forklifts are still responsible to be trained on the same topic as it relates to daily use of the forklift.
The ad for new hire operators should also inform the reader that they will be evaluated in their initial interview for the position. That statement will further deter the “fakers” from trying to apply in the hope you won’t know or bother to observe them trying to learn as they go. The ratio of truly qualified applicants to all others in a job search, then, should be very, very low.
For more information on this topic and related topics, visit the OSHA website at wwww.OSHA.gov and our website at www.diamondtrainingservices.com.