UK CPCS Forklift Theory Exam key terms

The main UK law setting out the general duties of employers, employees and others to protect health and safety at work. It underpins most workplace regulations and enforcement.

The legal and moral responsibility everyone has to take reasonable steps to avoid harming themselves or others. Operators must act sensibly, follow training and report hazards they cannot fix.

Regulations requiring work equipment such as forklift trucks to be suitable, maintained, inspected and used by trained people. Often abbreviated to PUWER and enforced by inspectors.

Regulations covering lifting equipment and lifting operations, requiring thorough examination, competent planning of lifts and suitable strength and stability. Often abbreviated to LOLER.

Official guidance that gives practical advice on how to meet a legal duty. Following it is not compulsory, but doing so is normally accepted as proof of compliance.

A careful look at what in a task could cause harm, how likely that is, and what controls are needed. It should be recorded, reviewed and shared with the people affected.

The order in which safety measures should be chosen: eliminate the risk, reduce it, then use engineering controls, then safe systems, and only lastly personal protective equipment.

Clothing or equipment worn to reduce harm, such as high-visibility vests, safety footwear, hard hats and hearing protection. It is the last line of defence, not a substitute for safe practice.

A detailed inspection of lifting equipment by a competent person at set intervals, such as six months for lifting accessories or twelve months for trucks. A report of the result must be kept.

The duties of a trained forklift operator, including following site rules, carrying out pre-use checks, using the truck only for authorised work and reporting defects, damage and near misses promptly.

Someone with the training, knowledge, experience and skill needed to carry out a particular task safely and correctly. The level of competence must match the job being done.

A person who has been trained, assessed and formally permitted by the employer to operate a particular type of forklift on a particular site. Authorisation should be in writing and kept current.

Initial instruction and practical training on a forklift type, covering controls, stability, load handling and safety rules, before any supervised workplace practice begins.

Additional training given when an operator moves to a new truck, attachment, load type or site, so they understand the specific hazards and controls before working unsupervised.

A documented, planned way of carrying out a task that identifies the hazards and sets out the controls, sequence of steps and responsibilities so the work can be done safely and consistently.

The local instructions of a workplace covering traffic routes, speed limits, pedestrian areas, parking, signage and reporting. Operators must know and obey them at all times.

A formal written authorisation for a high-risk task, stating the precautions required, the time allowed and who may carry out the work. It must be signed off before work starts.

A document describing how a specific job will be carried out safely, including the sequence of work, the equipment used, the people involved and the control measures.

A truck with a heavy counterweight at the rear that balances the load on forks at the front. It can lift loads but needs space to turn and has a rear swing when steering.

A warehouse truck whose mast or forks reach forward to pick up loads, allowing it to work in narrower aisles than a counterbalance truck. Its legs straddle the load and it usually has a tilting cab.

The vertical assembly of rails, chains and hydraulic rams that raises and lowers the forks. Mast type and free lift affect overhead clearance and visibility.

The height the forks can rise before the mast sections start to extend upwards. Useful where overhead clearance is limited, such as inside containers or low doorways.

A fixed plate on the truck showing its model, serial number, unladen weight, battery type and rated capacities at stated load centres and lift heights. It must be legible and match the truck.

The checks an operator carries out before each shift, such as tyres, forks, chains, hydraulics, brakes, horn, lights and fluids. Faults must be recorded and reported before the truck is used.

The process of recording any fault found on a truck and passing it to the responsible person, together with taking the truck out of service if the fault makes it unsafe to use.

The status of a truck that must not be used because of a defect or unsafe condition. It should be clearly tagged, isolated and reported so no one else operates it.

The horizontal distance from the vertical face of the forks to the centre of gravity of the load. The further out the load centre, the lower the capacity of the truck.

The maximum safe load a truck may lift under the conditions stated on its data plate, such as a given load centre and lift height. It must never be exceeded.

A table or diagram showing the maximum load a truck can handle at various load centres and lift heights. It is used to check that a planned lift stays within safe limits.

An imaginary triangle formed by the two front wheels and the centre of the rear axle on a counterbalance truck. The truck stays upright while its centre of gravity remains inside this triangle.

The point at which the weight of the truck and its load is considered to act. Raising, tilting or extending the load moves this point and reduces stability.

Devices fitted to the carriage instead of standard forks, such as clamps, rotators, booms or slippers. They change the truck's capacity and handling, so a new rating and training are required.

Keeping people on foot physically separated from moving trucks by barriers, marked walkways, crossing points and controlled doorways. It is the most effective way to prevent collisions.

A site layout and set of rules for the safe movement of vehicles and pedestrians, covering routes, one-way systems, speed limits, visibility at junctions and designated loading and parking areas.

The outward movement of the rear of a counterbalance truck when the steering wheels turn, which can strike people or structures. Operators must allow clearance when turning.

An area around the truck that the operator cannot see directly or in mirrors, especially when carrying a bulky load. Operators should travel in reverse with loads that block forward vision.

A trained person who guides the operator during a manoeuvre where visibility or space is poor, using clear agreed signals. The operator follows the spotter but stops if signals are unclear.

An unplanned event that did not cause injury or damage but could have done. All near misses should be reported so the cause can be investigated and controls improved.

Recording and reporting incidents, injuries and dangerous occurrences to the responsible person and, where required, to the enforcing authority. Records help prevent repeats and support any investigation.

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. They require certain serious workplace incidents, including some forklift overturns and injuries, to be reported to the enforcing authority.

Making equipment or energy sources safe and preventing them from being re-energised, for example by switching off, locking off and removing keys before maintenance or clearing a jam.