Do you need training to operate a warehouse forklift?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, a division of the U.S. Department of Labor, requires that all warehouse workers receive proper training and certification from their employers before they are allowed to operate forklifts, as OSHA's website details. They must renew their training at least every three years.

Employees with training obtained through previous jobs that is applicable to the new position may not require additional training if they demonstrate competency in operating the forklift upon examination, according to OSHA. In addition to the mandatory refresher training workers receive every three years, employers must also retrain and re-evaluate their workers if they observe them operating the truck unsafely, have an accident or need to drive a different truck.