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Yes. The legislation covering this is the Health & Safety at Work Etc Act, 1974, and Regulation 9 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). In a nutshell, this requires that every employer ensures that all persons who use lift trucks, and those that supervise them, have received adequate training.

Details regarding the required structure and standard of this training can be found in Approved Code of Practice L117.

Training is essential for part-time operators of any lift truck. Legally they need the same type and amount of training as a full-time operator, as they face the same risks. Regardless of working patterns or contracts, employers have the same duty of care to all operators.

All the usual course durations and testing standards would apply (dependant on experience levels and the total number of delegates attending the course).

Yes. A laden-powered pallet truck can often weigh more than double the weight of a family-sized car and crushing accidents involving legs, feet and ankles are, sadly, commonplace.

It’s important that anyone operating any kind of MHE understands the risks involved and how to keep themselves and others safe. It is also a firm requirement under PUWER regulations.

This is definitely not the case. Approved Code of Practice L117 states that additional conversion training is a requirement. This training will help to ensure that all gaps in and variants on existing skills and knowledge are covered.

Any employer who allows an operator to drive workplace transport on which they have not received proper training, puts their people and their business at risk.

Most certainly. Mentor provides a service to its customers, maintaining records of training on their behalf for a minimum of seven years.

When choosing Mentor, you can rest assured that your documentation is going to be safely stored.

Course durations are determined by a number of factors. Accredited training courses are required to meet relevant safety and legal standards and, to do so, must cover certain subject areas specified by accrediting bodies and legislations. Truck capacity, delegate numbers and experience levels also play a factor.

Accredited course lengths are specified by the Accrediting Bodies Association for Workplace Transport. Unaccredited courses are not subject to the same consistent standards and therefore can be more flexible in duration.

It is important to note that there is no such thing as a forklift ‘licence’ in the UK. Instead, certificates are awarded once training has been completed. However, these certificates do not have expiry dates but, in line with best practice, all forklift operators should receive regular refresher training to reassess their abilities and reinforce good driving habits.

This is specified in Approved Code of Practice L117, with retraining/retesting suggested every three to five years. Ultimately, the frequency of refresher training will come down to your company’s own refresher policy.