Frequently Asked Questions

Please Click On the Questions Below To Find Your Answer.

Forklift Truck Questions

Do I Need To Wear A Seat Belt On A Forklift Truck?
Do I Need A Driving Licence To Operate Forklift Truck?
What Is The Speed Limit On A Forklift In The Workplace?
Do I Need Forklift Training To Operate a Forklift On A Private Company?
Do I Need A Forklift Refresher Every 3 Years?
Does A Forklift Licence Expire?
What is in house training?
Does A Company Need To Give You Your Forklift Certificate?
Can I Use My Forklift Licence Anywhere?
How To Get A Copy Of My Forklift Licence?
Can I use my forklift licence from abroad in the UK?
Do I Need To Wear A Hi-Vis Vest While At Work?
Do I Need To Take A Full Novice Course If I Have Lost My Licence?
What Are The Rules and Regulations On Fork Extensions?

First Aid Questions

How Long Does A First Aid Certificate Last For in the UK?

Do I Need To Wear A Seat Belt On A Forklift Truck?

Yes. If you look at the HSE guidence it states ‘Where restraining systems are fitted they should be used’. To gain a better prospective on this google the word ‘should’.

used to indicate obligation, duty, or correctness…

It’s your duty and obligation to wear a seat belt. If you would like more information on this read our post on wearing a seat belt on a forklift (UK)

Do I Need A Driving Licence To Operate Lift Truck?

You do not need a car driving licence to operate a lift truck within a company.  They are two different types of machines operating in very different environments. So training on them requires different lessons taught. However, sometimes you need to drive a forklift truck on a public road and this is when you would need a driving licence.  I won’t go into that too much here as there is a good article on forklift trucks on public roads on the news/info section.

What Is The Speed Limit On a Forklift In the Workplace?

There is no set speed limit on a forklift truck in the workplace. It should be decided through a thorough risk assessment by the company. 5 mph is a common speed limit decided by companies, however in some instances even that is a little too fast. Read more on speed limits in the workplace.

Do I Need Forklift Training To Operate a Forklift On A Private Company?

Yes, it’s the employers responsibility to provide adequate training to it’s employees. The same standards also need to be met for self employed workers.
The person carrying out the training needs to have the correct credentials and needs to competent on the forklift in question too. Find out who can deliver forklift truck training.

Do I Need A Forklift Refresher Every 3 years ?

Most companies will renew their operator licences every 3-5 years. As this is the recommendation from HSE. There is no set renewal period by law, but the candidates training needs to remain adequate and up-to-date. However we’ve found that if training starts running over the 3 year mark, the candidates standards start to slip and dangerous habits start creeping in. Remember you as an employer are responsible for the operators training and updates

Does A Forklift Licence Expire?

A forklift licence does not expire and there no such thing as a forklift truck licence. However that does not mean you don’t have to provide or receive training. Training is typically conducted every 3-5 years. If you read on HSE website it advises these time scales

What is in house training?

The typical meaning of this phase is that the company has there own trainer that provides the training on the company premises.  It’s also called in house training if an external instructor comes on site and provides training that is not run through an accreditation body. We have found this is the most common type of training and is fine to do so. Find out what to look for when selecting an instructor.

Does A Company Need To Give You Your Forklift Certificate?

Technically if the company have paid for your training and it has not been run through an awarding body they have no obligation to give you your certificate. However some do. The only responsibly they have is to provide you with the training.
If on the other hand the training has been run through an awarding body, the certificate should be registered personally to you.  If you have not been given your certificate you can ring up the awarding body and they should be able to send you your certificate for a small fee.  Its quite normal for them to ask you some personal details e.g. name, address, company, date of training etc.

Can I Use My Forklift Licence Anywhere?

HSE no longer administers an accrediting bodies scheme. A lot of people are under the influence that an accredited ‘licence’ you can take to ‘anywhere’.  However which ever training you have undertaken. Your new employer should make sure you’re competent by providing you with some form of forklift refresher training. If you have had forklift training at one company and then obtain a new job technically the new company would have to provide you with some form of training to make sure you’re adequately trained. The good news is you would not need a full 3-5 day novice course. You would need to show proof of your last training.

How to get a copy of my forklift licence?

If you have received training that was paid for by yourself you can ring the centre where the training was conducted. You could also ring the accredited body direct if you know who that was.
 If your training was conducted in house, you would have to ring your employer where the training was carried out. They should keep records of any training you completed.
Remember if the training was conducted more than 5 years ago, it will now be out of date.

Can I Use My Forklift Licence From Abroad In The UK?

Even though forklift trucks generally work on the same premises, if you applied for a job in the UK you would need to undertake another forklift truck course. Some regulations vary to other countries and it’s good to update your knowledge and familiarise yourself with the local rules. If you tell the company that you received training in your country, they would more than likely not need to put you on a full novice course. The course duration would be reduced, while still making sure the training covers all elements needed.

Do I Need To Wear A Hi-Vis Vest While At Work?

It is down to the company to decide through risk assessment whether Hi-Visibility clothing is worn while onsite. That is the same for most PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
Usually any company that works around heavy equipment will enforce a Hi-Visibility jacket and steel toe capped footwear.

Do I Need To Take A Full Novice Course If I Have Lost My Licence?

No, you would not need to retake a full test. Depending on how long it was since you last operated a forklift truck, your training provider would put together a course adequate for you for your length of experience. For more details please contact us.

What Are The Rules And Regulations On Fork Extensions

Please look at our news page on Fork Extensions for some good information regarding fork extensions.

How Long Does A First Aid Certificate Last For in the UK?

A first aid certificate is valid for 3 years in the UK. Before your certificate expires, you will need to take a first aid re-qualification. This will update your certificate for another 3 years.
If your certificate expires you are no longer allowed to undertake first aid duties in your place of work.
HSE also recommend you do an annual first aid top up course. However this is not compulsory.