Forklift Refresher Training
A refresher course is intended for someone who has already completed suitable formal training on the relevant forklift category.
It may be appropriate when an operator:
- Has not operated a forklift for an extended period
- Uses the equipment only occasionally
- Has developed unsafe working practices
- Has been involved in an accident or near miss
- Requires periodic reassessment under company policy
- Is returning to forklift duties
- Needs to reinforce particular practical skills
- Has experienced changes to working practices or the operating environment
Previous training records should be checked before booking. An employee without suitable formal training may require novice or experienced-operator training instead.
How Often Is Refresher Training Required?
There is no fixed legal expiry date for forklift operator training and no universal statutory interval at which every operator must automatically repeat a course.
The Health and Safety Executive says employers may choose automatic refresher training or retesting after a set period—such as three to five years—but must continue monitoring operators in case intervention is needed sooner.
HSE guidance identifies several circumstances in which refresher training or retesting may be appropriate, including unsafe practices, an accident or near miss, infrequent truck use and changes to working practices or the environment. HSE lift-truck training guidance
Employers should establish a review period that reflects:
- The risks within the workplace
- How frequently each operator uses the truck
- Supervisor observations
- Accident and near-miss records
- Changes to equipment, loads or attachments
- The operator’s previous assessment results
- Company and insurer requirements
A scheduled review date should not prevent earlier action when an operator’s performance raises concerns.
What Does Forklift Refresher Training Cover?
Course content is selected according to the forklift category, workplace and operator’s development needs.
Training will normally include:
Operator Knowledge
- Operator responsibilities
- Relevant safety principles
- Truck stability and capacity
- Workplace hazards
- Pedestrian awareness
- Site operating rules
- Safe systems of work
Pre-Use Inspection
Operators revisit the correct inspection procedure for their equipment, including defect identification, reporting and action when a truck is unsafe.
Practical Operation
Practical exercises may cover:
- Starting and stopping safely
- Steering and manoeuvring
- Observation and all-round awareness
- Travelling with and without a load
- Working within restricted areas
- Operating around pedestrians and vehicles
- Safe parking and securing procedures
Load Handling
Depending on the truck and workplace, operators may be reassessed in:
- Load assessment
- Stability and capacity
- Picking up and depositing loads
- Stacking and de-stacking
- Pallet placement and retrieval
- Loading or unloading vehicles
- Using relevant attachments
The course includes the appropriate theoretical and practical assessment.
Refresher Training for Different Forklift Types
Refresher training must relate to the category of equipment the employee is expected to operate.
Counterbalance Forklifts
Suitable for trained counterbalance operators working in warehouses, yards, factories, loading bays and distribution facilities.
View Counterbalance Forklift Training
Reach Trucks
For trained reach truck operators who need their warehouse manoeuvring, racking and pallet-placement skills reassessed.
Pivot Steer Forklifts
For operators previously trained on articulated Flexi or Bendi-type trucks.
Multidirectional Forklifts
For trained operators using multidirectional equipment to transport long, bulky or irregular loads.
View Multidirectional Forklift Training
Training can also be discussed for pedestrian pallet trucks, vertical stock pickers and other material-handling equipment.
Refresher, Conversion or Familiarisation Training?
These training requirements should not be treated as interchangeable.
- Refresher training reassesses and updates an operator who has already received formal training on the relevant equipment category.
- Conversion training is for a trained operator moving to another category or significantly different type of truck.
- Familiarisation training provides supervised experience with a particular machine, attachment, load, workplace layout or company procedure after suitable basic and job-specific training.
- Experienced-operator training is for a suitable employee with genuine practical experience but no recognised evidence of previous formal training.
- Novice training is for someone without previous formal training or sufficient operating experience.
GH Training can review the operator’s history and intended duties before recommending a course.
Training at Your Workplace
On-site delivery allows refresher training to address the equipment and operational risks relevant to your business.
The customer will normally need to provide:
- A safe and serviceable forklift
- Manufacturer operating instructions
- A suitable practical training area
- Representative pallets or loads
- Documentation for any attachments used
- Appropriate personal protective equipment
- The operator’s previous training information
- Enough uninterrupted time for instruction and assessment
Normal work may need to be separated from the training area so that practical exercises can be conducted safely.
After an Accident or Near Miss
Refresher training may form part of the response to an accident or near miss, but it should not replace a proper investigation.
Before deciding what training is needed, the employer should consider:
- What happened and why
- Whether the operator followed their previous training
- The condition and suitability of the truck
- Workplace layout and traffic controls
- Visibility and pedestrian segregation
- Loads, pallets and attachments
- Supervision and production pressures
- Whether other employees face the same risk
The findings may indicate targeted refresher instruction, broader operator training or changes to the workplace and its procedures.
Assessment and Employer Authorisation
Operators complete the relevant knowledge and practical assessments.
Those who meet the required standard receive suitable evidence of refresher training for the equipment category assessed.
The employer remains responsible for:
- Confirming the operator is suitable for their assigned duties
- Providing job-specific and workplace familiarisation
- Recording the training completed
- Issuing formal workplace authorisation
- Monitoring the operator’s ongoing performance
- Arranging further training when necessary
A training certificate does not remove these workplace responsibilities.
Areas Covered
Based in Newton-le-Willows, GH Training delivers on-site forklift refresher courses across:
Arrange Forklift Refresher Training
When requesting a quotation, tell us:
- Which forklift category is involved
- How many operators require training
- When their previous formal training was completed
- How regularly they currently operate
- Whether an incident or workplace change prompted the enquiry
- Your preferred training dates
We will review the information and confirm whether refresher training or another course type is appropriate.
Call 01925 500796