DOSH Forklift Operator common mistakes
DOSH Forklift Operator · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Treating the pre-use check as a formality: ticking boxes on the checklist without physically walking the machine, so faults such as a stretched chain, a leaking hydraulic hose, or a worn tyre are never detected.
Candidates memorise the checklist sequence for the written test but have practised the inspection under time pressure at work, where a quick visual glance is treated as sufficient. They also assume a fault will be obvious rather than looking for the specific wear indicators the check is designed to catch.
What to do instead
Practise the inspection as a fixed physical route round the machine (forks and carriage, mast and chains, hydraulics, tyres and wheels, overhead guard, seat and seatbelt, horn, lights, brakes, steering, data plate) and rehearse saying aloud what a pass and a fail look like for each item. Learn the rejection criteria for chains, hoses and tyres so you can state the defect, not just name the component.
Reciting the stability triangle or pyramid as a diagram but failing to apply it to a scenario, for example not explaining why a raised load with forward tilt or a turn with an elevated load shifts the combined centre of gravity outside the stability base.
The principle is learned as a picture to be labelled rather than as a rule to be reasoned with. Candidates cannot translate 'the centre of gravity moves' into the concrete causes in a question: lift height, tilt, speed, load shape, mast extension, and side shift.
What to do instead
For every stability question, name the base (the triangle formed by the two front wheels and the steer axle pivot, or the trapezoid on four-wheel machines), state where the combined centre of gravity sits, then identify the specific action that moves it out of the base. Drill the four destabilisers: raising the load, tilting forward, turning while loaded, and travelling too fast, and be able to explain each in one sentence.
Confusing the rated capacity on the data plate with the actual safe capacity for the task: reading the plate load limit but ignoring the load centre distance, the lift height, and any attachment such as a side shifter or extension forks.
The single number on the plate is memorable and easy to quote, so candidates stop there. They do not realise that rated capacity is defined at a stated load centre and that adding an attachment or moving the load centre forward reduces the capacity, often requiring a derated chart.
What to do instead
Learn that the plate figure applies only at the stated load centre and mast condition, and that capacity falls as the load centre moves further from the fork face. Practise reading a load chart: find the load centre column, find the lift height row, and read across. For attachments, state that a new capacity plate or derated chart is required before use.
Describing a safe operating sequence in the wrong order, for example travelling with the load raised, turning with the load elevated, or lowering the forks before tilting back when picking up a load.
Candidates know the individual rules (keep the load low, tilt back, sound the horn) but not the sequence that links them, so they list the rules in a plausible but unsafe order. The exam tests the order because the order is what makes the manoeuvre safe.
What to do instead
Learn the pick-up and put-down sequences as fixed scripts. Pick-up: approach square, forks level and low, enter fully, lift clear, tilt back, then lower to travel position. Put-down: stop square, lower to the floor, tilt forward to level, withdraw. Travel: load low, tilted back, forks trailing, never elevated. Rehearse each as a numbered sequence.
Giving a generic answer on pedestrian safety, such as 'be careful and watch for people', instead of naming the specific controls: segregation of pedestrian and vehicle routes, marked walkways and crossings, exclusion zones, mirrors and blind spots, horn at blind corners, and the rule that the operator stops if a pedestrian enters the work area.
The question invites a common-sense answer and candidates supply one. They have not learned the hierarchy of controls (eliminate, separate, engineer, administer, PPE) that the exam expects, and cannot map it onto site measures.
What to do instead
Learn the hierarchy as it applies to forklifts: physical segregation and barriers first, then engineered controls such as mirrors, cameras and audible warnings, then procedures such as speed limits and one-way routes, then training and high-visibility clothing. For any pedestrian scenario, state the specific measure and the operator's obligation to stop and yield.
Confusing the duties of the operator with those of the employer or person conducting a business or undertaking, for example saying the operator must provide training or conduct risk assessments, or saying the employer must wear the seatbelt.
The legislation places overlapping but distinct duties on different parties, and candidates blur them because in small workplaces one person may hold several roles. They also confuse general duty provisions with the specific forklift requirements for inspection, training, and traffic management.
What to do instead
Make a two-column table: operator duties (competence and authorisation, pre-use checks, safe operation, reporting faults and incidents, not operating an unsafe machine) versus PCBU or employer duties (providing information, training, supervision, safe plant, maintenance, traffic management, consultation). Learn which duty sits where and be able to cite the type of obligation, not just the outcome.
Treating refuelling and battery charging as routine housekeeping, missing the specific hazards: ignition sources near LPG or petrol refuelling, the risk of hydrogen from lead-acid charging, acid handling and eyewash provision, and the correct sequence for changing or charging a battery.
Candidates have seen refuelling done quickly and without incident and downgrade the risk. They do not connect the fuel or battery type to the specific hazard, so they give a general 'no smoking' answer that misses ventilation, PPE, spill control, or the battery change procedure.
What to do instead
Learn hazards by energy source: LPG and petrol need ignition control, bonding, and no refuelling near pits or drains; lead-acid charging produces hydrogen and needs ventilation plus no naked flame; battery handling needs insulated tools, face and hand protection, and an eyewash. Learn the battery change sequence and the rule that charging areas are designated and ventilated.
Describing incident response as 'report it to the supervisor' without the immediate actions: making the area safe, isolating the machine, checking for injury, not moving a casualty or a load that may fall, and preserving the scene for investigation.
Reporting is the step candidates remember because it is the last one in the procedure and the easiest to name. They skip the first actions, which is where the exam usually places the marks, and they do not distinguish first aid from notification from investigation.
What to do instead
Learn the response as a sequence: make safe and isolate, assess and give first aid, raise the alarm and notify, secure and preserve the scene, then record and report. For each step know one concrete action, such as lowering the forks, applying the parking brake, disconnecting the battery, or placing barriers. Know the difference between an internal report and a regulator notification for a serious incident.
Ignoring site and traffic management hazards in scenario questions, such as overhead power lines, poor lighting, floor loading and edges, blind corners, and other mobile plant, and answering only about the forklift itself.
Candidates focus on the machine they are being examined on and treat the environment as background. They do not have a mental checklist of site hazards, so they miss the ones the scenario is testing, particularly overhead obstructions and ground conditions.
What to do instead
Build a site hazard checklist and run it on every scenario: overhead (power lines, sprinklers, racking, doorways), ground (slopes, edges, floor loading, spills, uneven surfaces), visibility (lighting, blind corners, mirrors), and other traffic (pedestrians, other plant, reversing areas). State the control for each hazard you name.
Answering maintenance questions by describing repairs the operator would carry out, rather than distinguishing operator checks from maintenance by a competent person, and not knowing when a machine must be taken out of service.
In practice operators often do minor tasks, so the boundary is blurred. Candidates also want to be helpful and describe fixing the fault, which the exam marks as incorrect because the operator's duty is to report and tag out, not to repair.
What to do instead
Learn the boundary: the operator does pre-start checks, refuelling, and reporting; maintenance, repair and thorough examination are done by a competent person. Learn the tag-out and isolation procedure and the rule that a machine with a defect affecting safety is not used until repaired and cleared. Be able to state the defect, the action, and who authorises return to service.