It’s a common hazard of the workplace, employees come and go. So, what happens if you suddenly find yourself in need of a forklift operator? Do you know what to look for?
You know your driver must be 18 years of age or older. Check.
What about training? It used to be a generic forklift operator license was good enough and covered every type of lift there was. If your operator could drive one, he/she was licensed to drive them all.
That’s not the case anymore. Training for forklift operators is “application specific” and your operator must be trained and certified on the exact type of unit you are using, in the exact type of conditions your shop includes.
So, when you’re looking for an experienced forklift operator you’re going to want to find one with a lot of experience, of course, but the fact is you are going to have to put him/her through some training in your specific facility with your specific environmental conditions before your new hire can get to work.
Be aware that most of the training offered at area schools and on-line doesn’t include actual operation of the forklift- so that will not replace on-site training. This MUST take place at your site.
We get a lot of calls from future forklift operators wanting to acquire a license, and our answer is always the same. Save your time and money until you know what type of lift you will be operating.
The upshot if all this as an employer is not to look past an employee who may have never driven the type of forklift your shop uses- you’re going to have to train anyway.
The one thing, by our belief, that your operator should know backwards and forwards no matter what type of lift they’re familiar with- is the pre-shift safety check before they even climb on board. Every experienced operator should be familiar with this and if they’re not, you can’t afford to move them forward in the hiring process. We have a checklist we’ll be happy to go over with you to make sure your operators know the safety procedures.
Questions about hiring a new forklift operator? We’re here for you. Call us today!