HSE L117 forklift and lift-truck operator training guidance
Employers should make sure lift-truck operators receive suitable training to the standard described in HSE’s L117 Approved Code of Practice and guidance. Training may be delivered by a competent in-house trainer or an external training provider. HSE also recognises voluntary accreditation schemes as a way to help maintain professional standards and help employers identify suitable providers, while making clear that HSE no longer administers an accrediting-bodies scheme.
For machine-specific information, see counterbalance forklift training, reach truck training, forklift refresher training and the MHE Training Knowledge Hub.
Who can provide lift-truck training?
Lift-truck operator training may be provided by an organisation that is part of a voluntary accreditation scheme, by an awarding organisation operating under another quality-assured regime, or independently, including competent in-house provision.
- Voluntary accredited training providers
- Awarding organisations subject to other quality-assured regimes
- Independent or in-house training providers
It is not mandatory for a training provider to belong to a voluntary accreditation body or another quality-assured scheme. HSE says these voluntary schemes are intended to help set and maintain professional training standards and help employers identify providers offering a good standard of training. Using an accredited provider can give an employer some assurance that training will be at least to the standard described in L117, but the employer still remains responsible for ensuring the training is suitable.
The competent training services or providers maintain a detailed list of qualified trainers to companies, businesses or organizations seeking their advice or course details for lift-truck training services. This includes details such as experience of the trainers and assessment criteria etc. Individual trainers can also guide regarding the workplace materials handling and transport training.
What should lift-truck training include?
Training for operating MHE includes at least three stages, which could be followed or interspersed by tests.
- Basic Training: This includes the basic theoretical knowledge around the specific MHE, followed by basic skills required for operating and moving. Safety in operations and efficiency at work are the central concerns of basic training.
- Job Specific Training: This is specific to the tasks at hand in a specific industry and workplace. It combines the basic knowledge with the detailed and in-depth understanding of the workings and operating principles of the MHE. The focus is on making the efforts of the operator and the MHE as productive as possible for the given scenario.
- Familiarisation Training: This involves thorough application of what has been acquired during the previous stages in simulated or real world scenarios.
The Basic Training and Job Specific Training can be conducted together and away from the workplace and job. Ideally, the pressure of production, performance and accuracy should not become a hindrance in acquiring the skills.
Familiarisation Training, on the other hand should ideally be conducted at the workplace and on the job. It demands supervision, and involves imparting insights. Look for ACOP L117 for further details on each stage of training.
How long should basic lift-truck training last?
HSE does not prescribe one fixed duration for every course. Training must be long enough for the operator to achieve the required standard, taking account of the truck type, candidate experience, group size and the skills being taught.
For a novice operator, HSE guidance says a basic course is typically around 3–5 days. Operators with relevant previous experience may need less extensive training, but that experience should not be overestimated and conversion training may still be required when moving to a different truck type or attachment.
Lift-truck training ratios
The trainee-to-instructor-to-truck ratio must allow the instructor to demonstrate each practical element and give every trainee enough supervised hands-on operating time. HSE gives a maximum example of 3 trainees to 1 instructor to 1 truck for practical training, except during theory sessions.
The correct ratio may need to be lower where the truck, attachment, task or site conditions make the practical exercises more complex.
Lift-truck operator testing and assessment
Trainee’s progress and skill acquisition should be assessed regularly and more importantly towards the conclusion of the training. The trainees need to pass test/s to ensure that they have acquired requisite practical skills and theoretical knowledge for safe and appropriate operation of MHE.
Familiarisation Training is specifically crucial for freshly trained operators even if they have to be occasional users. On the conclusion of the three stages, they should be given the opportunity to reinforce what they have learned during the training by putting their newly acquired skills and knowledge to practice at the workplace in real-life scenarios.
Monitoring and assessment
MHE operators, including the trained and experienced ones, have to be monitored and assessed routinely. This has to take place at the workplace. They need to take retests, and may also require undergoing Refresher Training. Only this can ensure that they continue to perform the operations safely.
The need for further training and re-assessment can be identified through the use of a formal Monitoring and Assessment process. This process has to be carried out by a competent person, which could be an instructor.
It is always good to pre-schedule the re-training and re-tests at regular intervals to ensure smooth and safe workflow. On failing in an assessment, Refresher Training or further training could be arranged for those operators. Recording the assessment performance results in a proper manner is helpful.
When refresher training may be needed
Refresher Training is aimed at ensuring the following:
- That operators maintain correct and appropriate driving habits
- Keep learning the requisite new skills
- Develop a self assessment and re-assessment of their individual abilities.
Refresher Training and Retesting is also relevant when:
- The operator/s have not been operating the MHE for some time
- Are occasional users by the nature of their occupation and responsibilities
- Have manifestly developed unsafe and inappropriate working practices
- Have been responsible for an accident or had a near miss
- There has been a change in the work practices, responsibilities or environment.
How often is refresher training needed?
HSE does not set a fixed refresher-training interval. Even trained and experienced operators should be monitored and reassessed from time to time, with further training provided where it is needed.
Reassessment or refresher training may be appropriate when an operator has not used a truck for some time, uses it only occasionally, has developed unsafe working practices, has been involved in an accident or near miss, or when the work, truck or operating environment changes. Employers may choose to timetable formal reassessment at reasonable intervals as part of their monitoring arrangements.
There is no single HSE-prescribed length for a refresher course. The content and duration should reflect the gaps identified by assessment and the truck and tasks the operator is expected to perform.
Lift-truck supervisor training under L117
Supervisors need to have sound training and know-how to identify the unsafe workplace and operational practices. They do not require full operator training but they need to have an in-depth understanding of possible risks and their prevention. Supervisor and manager training is also provided by MHE training services and providers.
The core responsibilities of supervisors include:
- Continuous, effective and acute observation of work operations and practices
- Effectively communicating with the operators and managers for safety and efficiency
- Recognising perilous practices and pointing out unsafe trends at the outset
- Promoting, ensuring and maintaining safety and health standards.
For machine-specific course information, see the Forklift and MHE Training Categories, VNA truck training and reach truck training pages.
Use of lift trucks by non-employees
Operating the MHE is becoming simpler each year which is amplifying the trend of their use by non-employees. Visiting drivers and service engineers are becoming common. However, it is the responsibility of the employers in coordination with their site controllers to ensure that only individuals with requisite training operate the MHE. A training certificate could be a mark of their competence in operating the specific machines and carrying out the site specific tasks with utmost regard for the safety standards. They should be aware of important aspects such as stability of machines while moving and lifting, types of loads to be handled, layout of site, types of surfaces and spaces etc. Previous experience and familiarity with operating the machine and carrying out the specific tasks in the particular site environment is also important.
Official guidance and related training pages
For the official position, read HSE’s L117 Approved Code of Practice and guidance and Lift-truck training: Advice for employers. For practical course planning, see all MHE courses, refresher training, meet your instructor or check weekday and weekend availability.
