If you are planning to start a career as a forklift operator anywhere in Australia, you will need to get a forklift licence. There is currently quite a demand for licenced forklift drivers all over the country. Whether you are working, or looking for work, in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Queensland or any other city, you are required by law to have a valid licence to operate a forklift.
The best way to go about getting your forklift licence is to take one of the many courses available. Given the danger associated with operating heavy equipment, it is crucial that you are properly trained to operate the machinery safely.
Forklift licencing is regulated by the Government of Australia. The guidelines, requirements and assessments are strictly enforced and all operators and training facilities must comply with these regulations.
In order to be licenced to operate a forklift anywhere in Australia, the applicant must be a legal resident of Australia, be over 18 years old and speak English.
When looking for forklift courses, you need to ensure that you are taking the course from a registered training organisation. The trainers and assessors must be all be licenced. There are registered training organisations in most major cities, including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Queensland. Training is available on-site for companies wishing to train their employees in their own environment or off-site at the training facility for new drivers or drivers that cannot do on-site training.
The training courses include a theory portion and a practical portion. The theory is the first part of the course, and must be taught by a registered trainer. The theory part includes topics such as health and safety, government regulations, forklift driver safety, work safety checking and pre and post-checks of equipment. This is normally a 3-day course, which concludes with a 97 question written exam that must be passed before you can go on to the practical training.
Once you have successfully completed the theory portion of the course, you will move on to the practical, hands-on training. You are required to log 40 hours of forklift operation before taking your test. This will involve safely operating the forklift under your instructor’s supervision. You will learn and practice pre-operational and operational checks of the equipment, load shifting according to the National Load Shifting Standard and correct shut-down and parking procedures.
After the completion of the hands-on training, you will be assessed by a registered forklift assessor. If you pass, you will receive a Notice of Assessment which allows you to legally operate a forklift for 60 days. During this 60 day period, you must apply for your Forklift Licence in order to continue to operate a forklift beyond the 60 days. The licencing fee is $74.00 and the forklift licence is valid for up to 5 years and allows you to operate anywhere in Australia.