Safety in the Warehouse: A Forklift Is Not a Toy
From an occupational safety and health perspective, forklifts are highly valued pieces of equipment. After all, they significantly reduce the physical strain on people when moving loads. Nevertheless, their use involves risks, which is why not everyone is permitted to operate every type of material-handling equipment.
Anyone who operates a forklift bears responsibility. Striking people, collisions with other vehicles, falling loads, or tipping over—there are significant risks of accidents, and these begin as soon as the operator gets on or off the forklift. For good reason, therefore, its use is restricted.
What is commonly referred to as a forklift is known in occupational safety terminology as an industrial truck. EKAS defines industrial trucks as ground-based equipment used for lifting and transporting loads. They are classified into two categories: S and R.
Category S
Category S industrial trucks include those without a driver’s seat and industrial trucks designed exclusively for horizontal material handling. These vehicles—such as tow tractors, pallet jacks, walkie pallet trucks, and order pickers—are considered to pose no particular hazards, and their risk of accidents is comparatively low. Category S forklifts may therefore be operated by individuals as young as 15 years old. However, this is contingent upon the operator having previously received instruction from a qualified professional, which must be documented with a written certificate of instruction.
In addition, the employer must ensure that candidates are suitable based on their reliability and sense of responsibility. They should also have the necessary basic understanding of technical and physical concepts.
Category R
Category R includes industrial trucks with a driver’s seat and those designed for vertical material handling. These forklifts can lift loads overhead, which makes operating them more challenging and also more dangerous. Category R is further subdivided into categories R1 through R4. Category R includes not only traditional counterbalanced forklifts (R1), but also all telescopic forklifts (R4) and other types such as side-entry and high-rack forklifts (R2), as well as side-loading and four-way forklifts (R3).
Due to the increased risk of accidents, prospective drivers must be at least 18 years old and obtain a forklift operator’s license (see info box). As a general rule, candidates with physical impairments—such as visual or hearing impairments, slow reaction times, or certain medical conditions like epilepsy or a tendency to suddenly lose consciousness (fainting)—are not suitable.
What You Need to Know About the Forklift License
Anyone who wants to operate a forklift (Category R) needs a forklift operator’s license. This is because operating such an industrial truck is considered «work involving special hazards» under Article 8 of the Ordinance on Accident Prevention (VUV). Therefore, employers must not only carefully select their forklift operators but also ensure that they receive specific training and instruction. After completing a specialized training program, the trainee receives a certificate of completion. In addition, they must receive instruction in the form of practical guidance on operating the forklift at the workplace.
Forklift operator training can also be conducted in-house, provided that the instructors are at least 23 years old, have at least 3 years of forklift experience, and are qualified as instructors (forklift training instructors). However, the forklift license is then valid only for the respective company location. If you complete your forklift training at a training facility officially recognized by Suva, the license is valid throughout Switzerland.
Anyone who has obtained a forklift operator’s license in another country cannot have it officially recognized in Switzerland. However, foreign training may be considered sufficient provided it is equivalent to Swiss requirements and reflects the current state of the art. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure this, if necessary in consultation with Suva. In case of doubt, the candidate may take a one-day exam.
Note: Forklift operators who are EU/EFTA citizens without permanent residence in Switzerland and who provide services here for a maximum of 90 days per year must —unlike crane operators—do not have to go through a registration process to work as forklift operators in Switzerland.
Author
Friedhelm Kring
Freelance journalist specializing in occupational safety
kring.de
