According to UK law, there is no legal requirement for anyone to have a driving licence to operate a forklift. Although an official licence is not required, there are safety requirements that must be met. Also, training on how to use a forklift before operating one is strongly advised, and completion of this training is then commonly referred to as having a ‘forklift licence’. 

This post will look into what you need to know about forklift training and what you need to do to ensure you are fully capable of safely operating a forklift. 

 

What does the law say?

There is no legal requirement for operators to have a driver’s licence to drive a forklift. However, to safely drive a forklift, training is strongly advised which must be conducted by accredited companies and training providers. After completion of this training, it is then informally referred to as having a forklift licence.

There are also health and safety regulations in place that require drivers to be of a certain physical state to undergo training. This is mainly to ensure the safety of pedestrians and other equipment operators working in the area. 

 

Forklift “licence” requirements

To be able to do your forklift training, you need to ensure that you meet the following criteria. These criteria are largely based on your physical well-being and overall health. 

 

Age

Minors cannot operate a forklift. In this case, the legal age to drive a forklift is 18 years. Although it’s not legally required for you to have a licence, you have to be this age to undergo training. 

 

Health

Before you start your forklift training, you also have to ensure that you are physically able to complete the training. Therefore, you will have to ensure that the following are up to standard, or that you have access to the necessary tools to perform your duties. 

 

Vision

If you operate a forklift, you need to ensure that you have no form of visual impairment whatsoever. If you have been prescribed glasses or contact lenses, then you need to ensure you wear these during forklift training or at any time thereafter when driving the forklift. 

 

Hearing 

Being able to hear any audible communication is essential during training and during operation. It’s therefore essential that the operator is not hearing impaired, and that there are the systems in place to effectively communicate instructions to the operator. These may include megaphones for loud areas, or conducting briefings in quieter locations. The operator should also always be able to hear warning signals during forklift operation. 

 

Epilepsy 

You need to inform your trainer and employer if you have been diagnosed with epilepsy. You should also seek advice from a medical professional before your forklift training. If you have regular fits, it’s not advisable to operate a forklift. 

 

General

You should be physically able to act fast in the case of a forklift emergency. If you have any physical hindrance, you must communicate this with your employer and forklift trainer. 

 

Your employer’s responsibility

As discussed, an operator has no legal requirement to have a licence to drive a forklift. However, it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that you have the correct training to safely operate and handle a forklift. This should form part of the company’s overall internal health and safety audit.