What a Forklift Certification Record Must Include to Satisfy OSHA
OSHA requires exactly four facts in a forklift operator’s certification: name, training date, evaluation date, and who did it. What that means for the certificate your course gives you, and what to keep on file.
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(6) requires a forklift operator’s certification to contain four things: the name of the operator, the date of the training, the date of the evaluation, and the identity of the person or persons who performed the training or evaluation. Nothing else is required, and nothing less is sufficient. A course certificate that shows only a name and a completion date covers two of the four; the evaluation date and evaluator are added by the employer after the hands-on evaluation.
The Four Required Items
| Item | Who supplies it | Where it usually comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Operator’s name | Course provider or employer | Printed on the course certificate |
| Date of training | Course provider | Completion date on the course certificate |
| Date of evaluation | Employer | The day a designated person watched the operator run the truck on site |
| Identity of trainer and evaluator | Course provider and employer | Provider name for the instruction; the evaluator’s name for the evaluation |
What Is Not Required
- A wallet card. Useful, not required; the record is what OSHA asks for.
- An expiration date. The rule sets a three-year maximum between evaluations (1910.178(l)(4)(iii)); it does not require the record to print one.
- The truck class or serial number. Good practice, since training must cover the type of truck the operator uses, but not one of the four items.
- A specific form. OSHA prescribes the content, not the format. A spreadsheet, a signed checklist, or a field on a certificate all qualify if the four items are there.
How Shield Handles It
Shield Certificates prints the operator’s name and training date on the certificate when the course is passed. The employer runs the evaluation using the included checklist, a general template to adapt to your trucks and site, and when the supervisor records it in the employer dashboard, the evaluation date and evaluator’s name are added to the operator’s certificate and compliance report. The result is one document with all four required items.
Forklift practical evaluation checklist (printable)
Keeping the Record
OSHA does not specify a retention period for forklift certifications, but you need the current one on hand for every operator and the ability to show the last evaluation was within three years. Keep the record for as long as the operator works for you, and keep the prior one until the next evaluation is recorded. An inspector will ask for the operator by name; be able to produce all four items in under a minute.
Frequently asked questions
What are the four items OSHA requires on a forklift certification?
Operator’s name, date of training, date of evaluation, and the identity of the person(s) who performed the training or evaluation (29 CFR 1910.178(l)(6)).
Does OSHA require a forklift wallet card?
No. The card is convenient; the record with the four items is what the standard requires.
Does a forklift certificate need an expiration date?
No. The rule requires evaluation at least every three years but does not require the record to print an expiry.
Sources: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(l), Operator training; OSHA: Powered industrial trucks, training and certification