Forklift Training Should Be Part of Christmas Plans

Every year, scores of temporary workers are added to the payrolls of wholesale and retail operations to deal with the traditional Christmas rush. Many of these temporary workers will be tasked with operating forklifts in crowded warehouse environments. In anticipation, industry experts are hoping companies will make forklift training part of their plans for the coming season.

It is apparent that increasing man-hours and the total number of forklifts working on the floor also increases the potential for dangerous accidents. It is a simple maths: more activity means more opportunity for things to go wrong. Proper training is a good way to mitigate many of the risks.

Forklift training and certification is not mandatory in the UK at this time. Essentially, anyone who can convince a hiring manager he or she is capable of operating a forklift could legally be hired. It is a good thing most companies do not hire so carelessly. Nonetheless, training and certification standards may be relaxed during the few months leading up to Christmas.

To ensure maximum safety, employers should make sure every new forklift operator they hire for the season has been properly trained and certified by an organisation like the HGV Training Centre. Temporary workers hoping to be hired should do their part as well. They need to proactively seek forklift training before applying for temporary positions.

An added benefit of completing forklift training and certification is that it will continue to help you long after you the Christmas rush. Even after your temporary position expires, you will still have a certification that will make it easier to find a job in the future. More and more, companies are deciding that properly trained and certified forklift drivers are much better for business than those who are untrained.

Forklift training at the HGV Training Centre includes a number of things, like:

• safely manoeuvring in tight spaces
• operating safely among other workers
• learning proper load-balancing techniques
• safe methods of stacking and unstacking cargo
• proper trailer loading techniques
• smooth control and operation of forklifts.

Our training programs are comprehensive enough to ensure students learn safe and efficient forklift operation without burdening them under a mound of unnecessary information. In other words, we focus our training squarely on only those things that are necessary.

If you are ready to begin forklift training with the HGV Training Centre, all you need do is give us a call. We have more than 45 facilities around the UK, all staffed by professionals who know their job and do it well. In less time than you would expect, we can have you fully trained and certified in forklift operations.

If you are an employer, don’t forget you have a legal obligation to protect the health and well-being of your workers – even the temporary ones you hire. Part of that obligation is to ensure your forklift drivers know what they are doing. If any of your drivers have not been properly trained, we can help change that. Just get in touch with us today.