A rated capacity is only true at the rated load centre. There is no licence for this machine.
No UK government body issues a licence to operate a counterbalance forklift, and no statute requires one. The duty to train and assess competence sits with the employer, under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 section 2(2)(c) and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 regulation 9.
This training is structured operator training with formal theory and practical assessment, which the employer can rely on as evidence when meeting that duty. Sites may set their own entry requirements, and the operator should check with the site before attending.
The Approved Code of Practice L117, Rider-operated lift trucks, covers counterbalance forklifts and sets out a three-stage training model: basic training, job-specific training, and familiarisation with the particular machine and site. The employer completes this with a written authorisation for that operator to use that machine.
Where the forklift is used for lifting, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) apply to the lifting function. LOLER requires thorough examination at 12-monthly intervals, or 6-monthly where the equipment is used to lift people. Stability rests on the stability triangle, and a rated capacity is only true at the rated load centre.