Forklift Training (Counterbalanced)

This course is for people who operate, or are learning to operate, sit-down counterbalanced forklifts with a vertical mast. It covers the theory part of operator training.

The course description says it was written to meet the theory training requirements of CSA Standard B335-15 (R2020). In British Columbia, the OHS Regulation requires lift truck operator training to meet Clause 6 of that standard.

• Lift truck parts and what each one does
• Balance, stability and capacity
• Why the pre-use check matters, and how to do the visual and operational inspection
• Getting on, getting off and driving safely, including around pedestrians
• Picking up, moving and placing loads, and parking the truck
• How to survive an incident on the truck
• Fuelling gas and diesel trucks, changing propane tanks, and charging, changing and watering batteries

Plan for about two hours, online at your own pace. Short tests run through the course, and you need 80% to earn your certificate. If you fall short, you can repeat the course twice. Extra materials are available online. When you pass, you download and print your certificate of completion.

Match the course to the truck you will drive:

• This course: about 2 hours. Sit-down, vertical mast counterbalanced trucks, including fuelling, propane and battery care.
• Forklift Training - Counterbalance Lift Truck: about 2 hours. Covers propane and electric counterbalance trucks.
• Sit-Down Counterbalanced Forklift Safety: about 165 minutes in two parts, Mobile Equipment Operator Safety (MEOS) training and then the sit-down forklift itself.
• Stand-up Forklift Safety: about 60 minutes. Stand-up trucks for narrow aisles and loading docks, including how they differ from sit-down forklifts.
• Forklift Training - Narrow Aisle Reach Truck or Forklift Training - Order Picker: about 2 hours each, for warehouse reach trucks and order pickers.
• Forklift Training - All Classes of Lift Trucks: about 2 hours. Counterbalance, reach, pallet trucks and more in one course.
• Forklift Training: Refresher: about 20 minutes. A short review for current operators.

Before you operate on your own, your employer must confirm you can run the actual truck:

• Alberta: you must be trained, show your competency to a competent worker your employer designates, know the operating instructions, and be authorized by your employer (OHS Code s.256).
• British Columbia: WorkSafeBC says theory must be followed by practical demonstration and supervised practice, and you must pass an operational test on the lift truck.
• Ontario: a lift truck must be operated by a competent person. The Ministry's guideline says your employer establishes your competence, with skills shown on the truck you will use under typical workplace conditions.