Powered Pallet Truck training in London
Pedestrian and ride-on electric pallet trucks for moving pallets at floor level: goods-in, lorry loading, order marshalling, shop floors and back-of-house.
Photo: Electric pallet jack.jpg by Three-quarter-ten, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
About powered pallet trucks
A powered pallet truck does the job of a hand pump truck without the effort. The forks lift a pallet a few centimetres off the floor and an electric motor does the travelling. Pedestrian versions are walked behind with a tiller arm; ride-on versions add a fold-down platform or a small cab so the operator can cover longer distances, and some carry two pallets end to end. In London they are everywhere a forklift cannot go: supermarket back rooms, hotel loading docks, hospital stores, exhibition halls, parcel hubs, the service corridors under shopping centres and the ground floors of office buildings where deliveries arrive.
They look harmless, which is exactly the problem. A two-tonne load at walking pace still crushes feet and ankles, tiller arms trap hands against walls, and ride-on trucks get moving quickly in a busy yard. The HSE treats them as lift trucks and expects operators to be trained, which is why the supermarkets, parcel carriers, venues, facilities companies and NHS trusts across the capital now insist on a certificate before anyone touches one.
The course is short because the truck is simple, but it is thorough on the things that hurt people: travelling with the forks trailing, keeping feet clear, using the belly-button reversing switch, handling slopes, lifts and dock levellers, and loading vehicles. Batteries and charging are covered because that is where most damage to the trucks themselves happens. Because it is short, it is also the easiest course to fit into a London shift pattern: an early morning before the first delivery, or an evening after the last one.
What the course covers
- Legislation and why pallet trucks count as lift trucks
- Pre-use checks: forks, wheels, tiller controls and battery
- Pedestrian positioning, tiller technique and the reversing safety switch
- Picking up and setting down pallets; double-pallet handling where applicable
- Ramps, dock levellers, goods lifts and loading vehicles
- Ride-on platform use, charging and parking
On site, on your truck, anywhere in London
We bring an accredited instructor to your premises in any London borough or surrounding town. You provide the truck and a safe working area; we provide the theory material, test papers and the HSE-recognised certificate. Novice Forklift Training, Semi-Experienced Forklift Training, Refresher Forklift Training, Conversion Forklift Training are all available for this truck.
Other truck categories
Counterbalance Forklift, Reach Truck, Double Deep Reach Truck, 4-Way (Multi-Directional) Reach Truck, VNA Truck (Man-Up and Man-Down), Bendi and Flexi (Articulated) Forklift, Pivot Steer Truck, Pedestrian Stacker Truck, Telehandler (Telescopic Handler), Order Picker (Low, Medium and High Level), Rough Terrain (Masted) Counterbalance, Side Loader.
Powered Pallet Truck training questions
Do our staff really need a certificate for a pallet truck?
The HSE's view is that a powered pallet truck is a lift truck and operators should be trained. Insurers and large customers increasingly ask to see it. The course is short, so it is a quick way to close that gap.
How many people can you do in a day?
For novices, typically up to six across a day with one instructor and one truck, depending on the layout of your site. Refreshers can be more. Tell us the numbers and we will quote accordingly.
Do pedestrian and ride-on need separate certificates?
They are usually certificated separately because the ride-on truck adds travel speed and platform safety. We can cover both in the same visit.
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