Forklift Operator Study Guide (OSHA 1910.178) 2026

Training, evaluation and certification

OSHA calls forklifts powered industrial trucks. There is no OSHA forklift license. Instead, your employer must make sure you are competent before you drive, except while you are in training.

How training works

1. Formal instruction, the classroom or lesson part of training.
2. Practical training, with demonstrations by the trainer and exercises by you.
3. An evaluation of your driving in the workplace.

• Trainers and evaluators must have the knowledge, training and experience to train operators and judge their competence.
• Trainees may drive only under direct supervision of such a person, and only where it does not endanger anyone.
• Training covers truck topics (controls, steering, visibility, forks and attachments, capacity, stability, inspection, refueling or charging) and workplace topics (surfaces, loads, pedestrians, narrow aisles, hazardous locations, ramps, ventilation).
• Topics that do not apply to your truck or workplace may be left out.

Evaluation and refresher training

Your performance must be evaluated at least once every three years. Refresher training, with a check that it worked, is required when:

• You are seen driving in an unsafe way.
• You are in an accident or a near-miss.
• An evaluation shows you are not driving safely.
• You are assigned a different type of truck.
• A workplace condition changes in a way that could affect safe driving.

Certification

The employer certifies each operator in writing. The certification shows the operator's name, the training date, the evaluation date and who trained or evaluated the operator.

Minimum age

Federal child labor rules set an 18-year minimum age for jobs the Department of Labor calls hazardous. Hazardous Occupations Order No. 7 bans workers under 18 from operating, riding on or helping to operate most power-driven hoisting equipment, including forklifts, in nonagricultural jobs.

OSHA's forklift eTool also says it is a violation of federal law for anyone under 18 to operate a forklift, or for anyone over 18 who is not properly trained and certified.

Daily inspection

A forklift must be examined before it is placed in service, at least daily. If it is used around the clock, examine it after each shift. A truck that is defective or unsafe must be removed from service until it is repaired.

Record problems and report them to your supervisor right away. A truck with a missing or unreadable nameplate should not be operated.

Stability and capacity

Most sit-down counterbalanced forklifts rest on a three-point suspension, even though they have four wheels. The two front wheels and the center pivot of the rear steer axle form the stability triangle.

• The center of gravity is the point where an object's weight is concentrated.
• When you pick up a load, the combined center of gravity of truck and load moves forward.
• If the combined center of gravity stays inside the stability triangle, the truck will not tip over.
• Lateral stability is resistance to tipping sideways. Longitudinal stability is resistance to tipping forward or backward.
• Moving, braking, turning, lifting, tilting and lowering all shift the center of gravity. This is called dynamic stability.

Load center and capacity

The load center is the horizontal distance from the edge of the load to a line through its center of gravity. Many forklifts are rated at a 24-inch load center. The capacity on the data plate applies only at that load center. If the load center is longer, the safe capacity is lower.

Load moment = weight x distance. Keep it within the truck's rating. If the back wheels start to lift, the truck is overloaded. Attachments usually reduce capacity, and any special attachment must be shown on the nameplate.

Handling loads

• Handle only stable or safely arranged loads, and only loads within the rated capacity.
• Put the forks under the load as far as possible, then tilt the mast back carefully.
• Center the load between the forks and spread the forks to share the weight.
• Raise or lower the forks only when the truck is stopped and the brake is set.
• Check overhead clearance before raising a load.
• Never travel with the load tilted forward. Tilting forward with the forks raised is allowed only to pick up a load.
• When stacking, put the heaviest loads on the bottom.
• A truck with an attachment is operated as a partially loaded truck even when empty.

Traveling and maneuvering

• Drive at a speed that lets you stop safely under all conditions.
• Yield to ambulances, fire trucks and other emergency vehicles.
• Slow down for turns, turn the wheel smoothly, and expect the rear end to swing wide. Never turn on a grade.
• Keep arms and legs inside the truck.
• Stunt driving and horseplay are not allowed.

Parking, riders and tip-overs

A forklift is unattended when you are 25 feet or more away, or when you leave it and cannot see it. When you leave it unattended:

1. Lower the forks fully.
2. Neutralize the controls.
3. Shut off the power.
4. Set the brakes.
5. Block the wheels if the truck is on an incline.

If you step off but stay within 25 feet and can see the truck, still lower the forks, neutralize the controls and set the brakes.

• Before driving onto a trailer or railroad car, its brakes must be set and wheel blocks placed.
• No one may stand or pass under the raised forks, loaded or empty.
• Unauthorized people may not ride. Where riding is allowed, a safe place to ride must be provided.

If a sit-down truck tips over

Do not jump. Stay in the seat, hold the steering wheel, brace your feet and lean away from the impact. OSHA says overturns are the leading cause of forklift deaths. Most deaths happen when a worker is crushed by a forklift that overturns or falls from a loading dock.

Pedestrians

• Never drive up to anyone standing in front of a bench or other fixed object.
• Sound the horn at blind corners, doorways and aisle openings.
• Make eye contact with pedestrians when you can, and signal them to stand clear.
• Do not move without a clear view. Use a spotter for blind spots.
• Convex mirrors at blind aisle intersections help drivers and pedestrians see each other.

Pedestrians should stand clear of working trucks, use walkways or keep to one side of equipment aisles, and never walk under a raised load.

Refueling and battery charging

Gasoline, diesel and LPG

• Never fill a fuel tank while the engine is running.
• Refuel only at designated safe locations, and do not smoke.
• Wipe up spills and wash the area down.
• LPG vapor is heavier than air and can collect in low areas. Do not refuel LPG trucks in confined areas.
• Only trained and authorized people should replace LPG containers.

Electric trucks

• Charge batteries only in the designated charging area.
• The area needs ventilation and ways to flush and neutralize spilled electrolyte. The eTool says to provide an eyewash that can run for 15 minutes.
• No smoking, open flames, sparks or arcs. Charging gives off hydrogen, which can explode.
• Keep the battery cover open to let heat and gas escape.
• Pour acid into water, never water into acid.
• Position the truck and apply the brake before changing or charging a battery.
• Use a hoist, conveyor or similar equipment to lift batteries.
• Wear a face shield or goggles, rubber gloves and an apron, and remove metal jewelry.

Study tips

The practice tests mix rules from the standard with good practice from OSHA's eTool. These tips help you remember both.

• Learn the key numbers: evaluation every 3 years, examine daily, 3 truck lengths, 25 feet for unattended, 8 feet from railroad tracks, grades over 10 percent, a 24-inch load center.
• Draw the stability triangle and mark where the combined center of gravity moves when you lift, tilt or turn.
• Say the parking steps out loud each time you leave your truck: forks down, controls neutral, power off, brakes set.
• Learn the five refresher training triggers. They often show up as short workplace stories.
• Read the data plate on the truck you use at work and find its capacity and load center.
• Walk your work area and note blind corners, ramps, dockboards and pedestrian walkways.