Evaluating Your Lift Truck Operators

As you know, completing training alone does not ensure that forklift operators are competent.

You must also confirm that they possess the skills required to safely operate the specific equipment in your workplace. This is accomplished through conducting a practical evaluation for each operator in your specific workplace.

Practical evaluations include observing operators carrying out a series of forklift-related tasks, grading their performance, and documenting the results.

Once an evaluation is completed, it will be determined whether or not an operator has successfully demonstrated the skills required to safely operate the equipment in their work environment.

Legislation and Standards

Several standards and regulations specify that practical evaluations of forklift operators are required.

For example, OSHA’s 29 CFR Part 1910.178(l)(1) indicates that an employer shall ensure that powered industrial truck operator is competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated of the successful completion of the training and evaluation specified in this paragraph (l)

And

1910.178(l)(2)(ii) – Training shall consist of a combination of formal instruction, practical training, and evaluation of the operator’s performance in the workplace.

Additionally, the CSA B335 standard indicates the following:

6.20.3 Practical skills evaluation

Following the completion of instruction and practice, all trainees shall be evaluated. The evaluation shall be conducted on the specific work tasks and using the classification of lift truck to which trainees are assigned, based on the following items:

• preoperational inspection
• start-up
• traveling, with and without a load (including pedestrian safety)
• load handling
• load selection and security
• load pickup and placement
• stacking/destacking
• handling specific to docks, trucks, and rail cars
• driving on ramps and grades
• personnel lifting
• using elevators
• shutdown
• refueling/recharging

Evaluation Process

The practical evaluation process for forklift operators is usually pretty straight forward.

You will simply observe an operator performing duties on a specific piece of equipment in their work environment, grade their performance, and document the results on an evaluation checklist. Once you’ve completed the evaluation, you’ll determine whether or not the operator is competent and can operate the equipment safely.

The following topics throughout this lesson on practical evaluations will go over some of the most popular forklift-related tasks that need to be evaluated.

We’ve included a practical evaluation form that matches the tasks for your convenience, however, you can create a custom form to suit the specifics in your workplace if you like.

Operator’s Manual

Each forklift comes with an operator’s manual that includes important information such as the extent and details of pre-operational inspections, operating requirements, safety requirements, and other important information about the truck.

You should review the operator’s manual for the equipment that you’re evaluating an operator on, prior to the evaluation. This will ensure that you’re accurately covering all aspects related to that piece of equipment.

Your operator should have also reviewed the manual during the theory or on-the-job portion of the training.