Health & Safety
Construction
Jobsite Safety
General Construction
Forklift Operator Training
2 hours
to complete
Last updated 07/2026
About this course
Forklifts, also known as powered industrial trucks, are vital tools used to lift and transport cargo in construction and a variety of other industries. OSHA requires employers to ensure that all operators are forklift certified through formal instruction, practical training and a performance evaluation.
This online forklift certification course fully complies with OSHA's general industry and construction standards for forklift operator training. Throughout the two-hour course, you'll learn about all formal instruction topics needed to earn a forklift license and safely operate Class I — Class VII forklifts.
Learning Objectives
- Operate safely — Apply OSHA 1910.178 and ANSI B56.1 to operate a powered industrial truck safely: daily inspection, traveling, and handling loads within the truck's rated capacity and stability limits.
- Keep it upright — Use the stability triangle, load center, and the capacity data plate to judge before lifting or traveling whether a load is within safe limits, and how tilt, grade, and travel speed shift the combined center of gravity.
- Protect people — Recognize and control workplace hazards (pedestrians, ramps, docks, narrow aisles, hazardous atmospheres), apply safe refueling / battery-charging / LP-gas practices, and complete the certification and re-evaluation requirements of 1910.178(l).
This course is included in this bundle
Course outline
4 modules
2 hours to complete
1:18 hours
of video lectures
Welcome • 0 assignments
Orientation Materials
Welcome • 0 assignments
Orientation Materials
This course is self-paced, so you don’t need to be logged in at any specific time. You can get started immediately after you enroll and the course materials will remain in your account with minimum guaranteed access for 12 months (1 year) after enrollment.
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Module 1 • 9 assignments
Forklift Operator Training
Module 1 • 9 assignments
Forklift Operator Training
This module covers the foundational knowledge required before operating a forklift, starting with the OSHA and ANSI standards that govern training and equipment, and the classes and components of powered industrial trucks. It walks through stability and load capacity, pre-operation inspection, safe travel and operating procedures, and hazard-specific situations. It also covers fueling and charging safety across combustion and electric trucks, and closes with the certification and evaluation requirements operators must complete beyond this course.
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Module 2 • 4 assignments
Professional Perspectives: Safety Consultant Insights
Module 2 • 4 assignments
Professional Perspectives: Safety Consultant Insights
In this module, you'll hear from Jacob Krigbaum, owner of Proven Solutions Corporation, a safety and compliance company that works across construction, manufacturing, agriculture, maritime, and more than a dozen other industries. Jacob holds over 96 safety-related certifications and has spent years helping companies build training programs that actually change behavior on-site, not just meet minimum requirements.
Because Jacob works with forklifts across so many different industries, he brings a broader view of where things typically go wrong than someone working in a single field. In this segment, he covers the most common recurring forklift issues he sees, how to make load capacity and center of gravity training actually stick, and where companies tend to get pedestrian and forklift interaction wrong.
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Conclusion • 3 assignments
Feedback and Additional Resources
Conclusion • 3 assignments
Feedback and Additional Resources
This is our last module but you still have access to the all of course materials for 12 months (1 year), so keep working and you'll be able to complete the course at your own pace. After your year of access expires you can optionally extend access with a HeatSpring Membership. Enjoy the course and keep in touch!
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Author
Jenny Conrardy is a Journeyman Electrician, NABCEP PVIP Certified, and has been working in the solar industry since 2019. She is an instructor with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association in Wisconsin, and trained with Solar Energy International in Paonia, CO. Jenny is a member of Solar for Women & WRISE, and is a advocate for equity in the trades. With a background...
Frequently asked questions
Full FAQHow does this course work?
You can begin this online course instantly upon enrollment. This course is delivered entirely online. Pre-order courses are available on launch date. This course is self-paced and you can set your own schedule to complete the materials. You can begin the lecture videos and other course materials as soon as you enroll. After successfully completing the course, you will be able to generate a certificate of completion.
How long do I have access to the materials?
Students get unlimited access to the course materials as soon as they enroll and for one year (365 days) after enrollment. Rewatch videos and review assignments as many times as you want. View updates the instructor makes to the course as the industry advances. Return to your course anytime with online access from anywhere in the world. After the one year of access expires, access can be extended by joining as a HeatSpring member. A single membership extends access to course materials for all past enrollments.
Is there a certificate of completion?
Yes, when you complete this course you are eligible for a certificate of completion from HeatSpring. You can download your certificate as soon as you have completed all of the course requirements. Students can easily share their verified certificates on their LinkedIn profiles using our LinkedIn integration.
Can I register multiple people?
Yes, please visit our For Teams page to get a group discount.
Who needs forklift training?
This training is designed for workers seeking OSHA-accepted forklift driver certification. You'll learn how to safely operate forklifts, also known as powered industrial trucks. To legally operate this machinery, you must be at least 18 years of age.
Our course provides certification to operate the following types of forklifts:
- Class I: Electric motor rider trucks
- Class II: Electric motor narrow aisle trucks
- Class III: Electric motor hand trucks or hand/rider trucks
- Class IV: Internal combustion engine trucks (solid/cushion tires)
- Class V: Internal combustion engine trucks (pneumatic tires)
- Class VI: Electric and internal combustion engine tractors
- Class VII: Rough terrain forklift trucks
This course is appropriate for workers in construction or general industry. It does not apply to agriculture workers or workers who operate compressed air/nonflammable compressed gas-operated industrial trucks, farm vehicles or vehicles used primarily for earth moving over-the-road hauling.
What is forklift certification?
According to OSHA standard 1910.178, employers are required to ensure that all forklift operators are properly trained and certified. To earn your certification, you must complete formal instruction, practical training and a performance evaluation.
You can complete our Forklift Certification course 100% online to satisfy the formal instruction requirement for certification. Our course covers all training topics required by OSHA, including operation instructions, warnings and precautions, steering and maneuvering, load capacity, inspections, maintenance and more.
Your practical training and performance evaluation will be provided by your employer. OSHA requires your on-site training and evaluation to be conducted by a qualified person who is certified to train powered industrial truck operators.
How old do I need to be to operate a forklift?
You must be at least 18 years old to drive and operate a forklift.
Do I need a driver license to operate a forklift?
OSHA does not require forklift operators to have a state-issued driver license. However, employers are entitled to their own operator requirements.