The UK's Original Forklift Trainers Since 1977

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) states; “Every employer shall ensure that all persons who use work equipment have received adequate training for purposes of health and safety, including training in the methods which may be adopted when using the work equipment, any risks which such use may entail and precautions to be taken. Every employer shall ensure that any of his employees who supervises or manages the use of work equipment has received adequate training for purposes of health and safety, including training in the methods which may be adopted when using the work equipment, any risks which such use may entail and precautions to be taken” (PUWER, Page 31, Regulation 9)

It is recommended that you take a Safety Refresher course every 3 to 5 years.

No, the training which you receive is only valid for the type of machine you were trained on. If you wish to use other equipment, then you will need to undertake further training for the specific equipment.

It is our recommendation that individuals who will be operating both Electric and Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) forklifts should, as a minimum, receive formal training on one truck type and then have control familiarisation on the other. Familiarisation does not necessarily need to take place during a formal training course but should be conducted prior to the operator commencing work with the truck.

It should be noted that there is no legislation which specifically governs training requirements in relation to the motive power of forklifts thus the decision as to whether operators should be trained separately for each motive power of FLT is ultimately the employer’s to make. It may also be advisable to consult your insurer when making this decision.

Also if an operator is required to refuel an LPG truck and recharge an electric truck then they should receive training on how to do this correctly. If an operator is required to refuel an ICE truck when they have only received training on battery charging during an electric truck course (or vice versa) it is strongly advisable that they receive safety training and procedural familiarisation from their company or a training organisation as appropriate before taking responsibility for refueling/recharging.

Your training does not have a specific expiry date but it is recommend that you take a refresher course every 3 to 5 years.

It is recommend that you take a refresher course for a number of reasons. It means that your skills are kept up to date, it keeps away any bad habits that could arise and if you are job seeking, it is best to have your certificate of training refreshed if you have had it for a while. A lot of companies will not accept training that is older than 3 years. For more information on refresher training, then please refer to the HSE site.

Train-a-Lift are accredited by a number of the leading bodies in the country. Namely AITT, ALLMI and ITSSAR.

AITT are the only membership run accrediting body in our industry, and proudly operate solely as a non-profit making organisation. The AITT council, consists of elected members who have been successfully nominated to represent their voice and opinion to AITT`s network. They consist of industry experts, from lift truck manufacturers, H&S representatives, training organisations, and instructors. Their purpose is to provide and maintain the highest training standards for operators, instructors, tutors and examiners, delivering training on all types of workplace transport and material handling equipment. Using the guidance set out in the HSE Approved Code of Practice (ACoP L117), AITT publishes guidance for the training of operators and instructors. We also ensure that all our training providers are adequately audited, and their courses are externally verified, ensuring that training is being provided correctly to our standards.

AITT operator registrations scheme is called ACORNS. (AITT Certification of Operator Registration Number Scheme) It is a database of all the AITT accredited training that has been delivered by AITT registered training providers. The database started in 2014, and now contains over 300,000 candidate records. Each registration submitted to AITT undergoes a 17-point check to make sure it complies with AITT & ABA standards, providing peace of mind to the end user by having an HSE recognised qualification.
With an aim to beat fraudulent certification, all AITT accredited courses (post 2014) are logged onto the ACORNS database. If a record is not on the AITT database, then the certificate is not accredited to AITT. A quick way to check is to look for the ACORNS logo and a 6 digit unique number supplied on an AITT accredited certificate. If you need to verify the legitimacy of any AITT accredited certificate, please contact the AITT, stating the ACORNS number and the candidate name.

The Association of Lorry Loader Manufacturers and Importers (ALLMI) was founded in 1978 at the request of the Health and Safety Executive, and it remains today as the UK’s only Trade Association devoted exclusively to the lorry loader industry. It serves, represents and promotes the interests of its members and the industry at large, and it is the natural focus and authority on all issues involving the design, manufacture, application and use of lorry loaders.

ALLMI's core aims are:

• To promote the safe use of lorry loaders.
  
• To ensure that the Association is involved in the formulation of any legislation which affects the industry’s interests.
  
• To promote compliance with training requirements embodied in current legislation.

ALLMI has members drawn from all parts of the industry, including manufacturers / importers, service agents, ancillary equipment manufacturers / suppliers, fleet owners and site operators.

All members share the same objective of promoting safe use and best practice.

ITSSAR has a vast knowledge and expertise in a broad range of mechanical handling equipment. We recognise, approve and accredit a full range of courses Worldwide, including Counterbalance, Reach, Powered Pallet Trucks and Manual Handing among many others.

We’ve been improving training standards since 1991, and our dedicated team writes and monitors standards for a broad range of mechanical handling equipment to guarantee the highest quality of training within the workplace. The standards we set for registrants are current, comprehensive and far exceed the Accrediting Bodies Forum 2000. To ensure we’re constantly improving the overall quality of training, we hold seminars on a regular basis, inviting members to forward ideas and recommendations.

You do not have to be over 18 but you have to be of school leaving age. See the HSE for further details on age restrictions.

You do not need to have a driving licence before you can learn to operate a Forklift Truck.

Where there is a seat belt on a truck, it must be used.

The capacity and usage of machinery is defined by the ABA Workplace Transport Groups.

If you are unsure of what course you will need, please give us a call and we can discuss course lengths, delegates number and experience in order to get the right course for you. Call us on 024 7646 9027.

All users will need full training in order to operate a machine. It is a legal requirement that you receive proper training regardless of the amount of time you will use the machine.

There is no such thing as a licence. Once you have completed a course, you will receive a certificate of training which is proof that you have received training. The word licence is used as a general term by many to refer to your certificate of training.

Hence this is why there is no official expiry date but it is recommended that you undertake regular refresher courses every 3 to 5 years.

Yes you will have to do both theory and practical tests. All of our theory tests are multiple choice. There is also the option to have the test read to you if needed and professional translation services can be provided by prior arrangement.

Yes of course – we cater to Self-Sponsored delegates at our training centre based in Coventry. We run the following courses for Self-Sponsored delegates; Counterbalance (Electric or LPG), Reach, Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) and Pedestrian Pallet/ Stacker Truck.

We run Novice, Experienced, Safety Refresher and Conversion courses so you are sure to find a course that suits you.

For prices and availability, please contact us directly and we can talk you through the courses we can offer.

Please note that if you wish to book a place on a Self-Sponsored course, then we will need to take a 100% deposit of the course fee in order to reserve the place for you.

If you did your training through a company, then you will need to contact the company to make sure they are happy for us to release a copy of your certification to you. We will need confirmation which states that they are happy for you to purchase a copy before you can purchase a replacement certificate. The confirmation needs to be from a company email or a company headed letter.

For Self-Sponsored delegates who paid for the training themselves, we can produce a copy certificate.

There is a £25.00 charge for replacement certification. This price will cover you for all the certificates you need replacing. The replacement will be a new copy of the certificate and the plastic licence.

We will need to take payment before we can release a copy to you. 

When we train onsite, we have certain requirements in order to ensure you to receive the best possible training. Firstly we will need full access to the equipment for the full duration of the training – it does not help delegates if they keep getting interrupted if someone else needs to borrow the truck! The equipment must be in good working order and with current  certification as appropriate. We will also require a place for theory such as a classroom or office. We will also require an area for the practical which is large enough to accommodate the practical element on the machine and is not going to be interrupted by other work which is been carried out on the site.

A banksman is someone who has been trained to direct vehicle movement on a site. A signaller is someone who has been trained to direct crane drivers whilst they are carrying out lifting operations. For more information please see the HSE Guidance Notes.

Our Data Protection Policy can be found here.