OSHA does not set one universal annual refresher date for every powered industrial truck operator. The rule requires an evaluation of each operator’s performance at least once every three years. Refresher training is required when an operator has been observed operating unsafely, is involved in an accident or near miss, is assigned a different type of truck, or workplace conditions change in a way that could affect safe operation.
The employer must ensure operators are trained and evaluated for the truck and workplace conditions they will encounter. A wallet card alone does not replace the employer’s responsibility to confirm that the operator can do the job safely at that site.
Keep records of initial training, practical evaluation, the equipment covered, and any refresher training. When an incident or equipment change occurs, document the trigger and the follow-up before the operator resumes affected work, as appropriate to the circumstances.
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