Rough terrain, gradients, ground bearing and tyre condition decide stability, not just load. There is no licence for this machine.
No UK government body issues a licence to operate a rough terrain 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, applies to the rough terrain forklift 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 rough terrain forklift is used for lifting, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) apply, with thorough examination at 12-monthly intervals, or 6-monthly where the equipment is used to lift people. On rough ground it is the gradient, the ground bearing capacity and the tyre condition that decide stability, not just the load on the forks.