Twelve units make up this qualification, each individually assessed and credited:
1072 Health, Safety and Security at Work
4801 Prepare the Forklift Truck for Driving or Manoeuvring
4802 Operate, Move or Manoeuvre the Forklift Truck
4803 Select, Transfer and Position Loads Using a Forklift Truck
4804 Load the Container, Vehicle, Vessel or Craft Using a Forklift Truck
4805 Unload the Container, Vehicle, Vessel or Craft Using a Forklift Truck
4806 Undertake Post-operational Checks on Forklift Trucks
4807 Obtain Information on the Collection and/or Delivery of Loads
4808 Keep Work Areas Clean in an Industrial/Construction Operations Environment
4809 Moving and/or Handling Goods in an Industrial/Construction Operations Environment
4810 Sort Goods and Materials for Recycling or Disposal
4811 Wrap and Pack Goods in an Industrial/Construction Operations Environment
Theory assessment
71-question written theory test, pass standard 80% (57 of 71). Answered in the candidate’s own handwriting, covering:
Roles, responsibilities and the law
Machine preparation and pre-use inspection
Travelling, gradients and manoeuvring
Stability, the counterweight and rear-end swing
Load assessment and use of the rating plate
Stacking, de-stacking and use of attachments
Loading and unloading vehicles
Post-operational checks, parking and shutdown
The following are safety-critical and must be answered correctly regardless of the overall score:
Seat belt use
Overhead services distances
Excavation clearances
Counterweight crush zones
Licence and age requirements
Isolation on leaving the machine
Practical assessment
Structured exercises, each marked against observed performance criteria. Every criterion must reach competent; any dangerous act terminates the assessment.
Pre-use inspection and preparation to the manufacturer’s specification, with defects recorded and reported
Travel and manoeuvre laden and unladen: correct travel position, gradient technique, blind corners, confined aisles, pedestrian awareness, reversing under observation
Stacking and de-stacking at height, planned from the rating plate, approach square, mast vertical for the lift, clean pallet entry and exit
Load and unload a vehicle: vehicle security checks, plan agreed with the driver, loads placed over the axles and to the headboard, vehicle balance maintained
Goods handling, wrapping and housekeeping: load information confirmed, area kept clear, goods handled without damage, waste segregated to the correct streams
Park and shutdown: safe authorised position, forks grounded, brake on, neutral, isolated and key removed, post-use checks completed
The assessor deemed Fred Bloggs competent within the stated scope, and the qualification was awarded in August 2026.
The legal position
No UK government body issues a licence to operate a counterbalance forklift truck, 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.
The Approved Code of Practice L117, Rider-operated lift trucks, covers industrial counterbalance forklift trucks 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 machine is used for lifting, LOLER 1998 requires thorough examination at least every 12 months.
The full site evidence statement sets out the basis of the qualification, the assessment decision and the audit trail, for presentation to site management and health and safety personnel.