What Does PUWER Say About Forklift Training?

Understanding Your Legal Responsibilities as an Employer

Forklift trucks are essential in warehouses, manufacturing facilities, engineering workshops and distribution centres across the UK. However, they are also one of the most hazardous pieces of workplace equipment when used incorrectly.

One of the most common questions employers ask is:

"Does PUWER require forklift operators to be trained?"

The answer is yes. While the regulations do not specify a particular training provider or certificate, they do require employers to ensure anyone operating work equipment is competent and properly trained.

At GH Training, we deliver AITT Accredited forklift training to help businesses meet their legal duties while creating safer, more productive workplaces.

What is PUWER?

PUWER stands for the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

These regulations apply to almost every workplace in the UK where equipment is used by employees, including:

  • Warehouses

  • Engineering companies

  • Manufacturing facilities

  • Logistics centres

  • Builders' merchants

  • Food production

  • Distribution centres

Forklift trucks fall squarely within the scope of PUWER.

The purpose of PUWER is to ensure that work equipment is:

  • Suitable for the job

  • Properly maintained

  • Safe to use

  • Operated only by competent people

What Does PUWER Say About Training?

One of the most important requirements is Regulation 9 – Training.

In simple terms, employers must ensure that anyone who uses work equipment has received adequate training.

This includes training on:

  • Safe operation

  • Risks associated with the equipment

  • Precautions to reduce those risks

  • Correct use of safety devices

  • Procedures for inspections and reporting defects

For forklift operators, this means formal training is an essential part of meeting your legal responsibilities.

Is Forklift Training a Legal Requirement?

Yes.

Employers have a legal duty to ensure forklift operators are competent before allowing them to operate lift trucks in the workplace.

Competence involves more than simply being able to drive a forklift. Operators must understand:

  • Load stability

  • Safe stacking techniques

  • Vehicle limitations

  • Workplace hazards

  • Pedestrian safety

  • Daily pre-use inspections

  • Emergency procedures

Training should combine both theory and practical assessment to demonstrate competence.

What Does the HSE Recommend?

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) supports structured operator training and recommends that employers ensure operators receive appropriate instruction, practical training and assessment before operating lift trucks independently.

The HSE also advises employers to:

  • Monitor operator performance.

  • Provide additional training where necessary.

  • Arrange refresher training if standards begin to decline.

  • Assess experienced operators who have not received formal training.

There is no legal expiry date for a forklift training certificate, but employers remain responsible for ensuring operators continue to work safely and competently.

What Training Should Employers Provide?

Depending on the operator's experience, training may include:

Novice Training

Designed for people with little or no previous experience.

Operators learn:

  • Safe operating techniques

  • Vehicle controls

  • Stability principles

  • Load handling

  • Workplace safety

  • Practical driving skills

Experienced Operator Assessment

Suitable for operators with experience but no recognised qualification, or where competence needs verifying.

Refresher Training

Recommended when:

  • Three years have passed since the previous training.

  • Unsafe habits have developed.

  • Workplace procedures have changed.

  • New equipment has been introduced.

  • Operators return after a prolonged absence.

  • Following an accident or near miss.

Conversion Training

Required when experienced operators move onto a different category of forklift truck.

For example:

  • Counterbalance to Reach Truck

  • Reach Truck to Multidirectional Forklift

  • Counterbalance to Powered Pallet Truck

What Happens if Employers Ignore PUWER?

Failure to comply with PUWER can have serious consequences.

These may include:

  • Workplace accidents

  • Employee injuries

  • HSE enforcement action

  • Improvement Notices

  • Prohibition Notices

  • Prosecution

  • Increased insurance costs

  • Damage to the company's reputation

Most importantly, inadequate training puts operators and colleagues at unnecessary risk.

Why Choose AITT Accredited Training?

Choosing an AITT Accredited Training Provider gives employers confidence that training is delivered to recognised industry standards.

At GH Training, we provide:

  • Counterbalance Forklift Training

  • Reach Truck Training

  • Multidirectional Forklift Training

  • Powered Pallet Truck Training

  • MEWP Training

  • Overhead Gantry Crane Training

  • Refresher Training

  • Experienced Operator Assessments

  • Novice Operator Courses

All training is delivered on-site using your own equipment, helping operators develop competence within their normal working environment.