Telehandler Operator Training

What the forklift standard requires

Under 1910.178(l), training must combine formal instruction, practical training and an evaluation of the operator's performance in the workplace, and no one may operate a truck on their own until they have completed it. The employer must certify each operator with the operator's name, the dates of training and evaluation, and who did them. Evaluations repeat at least every three years. OSHA's construction rule, 1926.602(d), makes those requirements identical for construction work.

Load charts, attachments and suspended loads

The load chart is the center of telehandler training: capacity depends on boom angle, extension and the attachment, so a load that is safe close in can tip the machine at full reach. Operators practice reading the chart for your attachments, keeping the frame level, and traveling with the boom low. Using a telehandler to hoist and move a suspended load with a winch or hook brings it under OSHA's crane standard (1926.1400(c)(8)), which has its own operator requirements, so we cover where that line is.

What the course covers

• Pre-shift inspection and reporting defects
• Reading and applying the load chart for each attachment
• Boom angle, extension and the stability triangle
• Frame leveling, outriggers and rough or sloped ground
• Traveling with the boom low and the load visible
• Attachments, quick couplers and the limits on lifting people
• When suspended-load work falls under the crane standard
• Practical evaluation on your telehandler