HSE L117: Rider-operated lift trucks

HSE L117 is the Approved Code of Practice and guidance on training lift truck operators. This guide covers the three stages of training, refresher training, LOLER examinations and its legal status.

Overview

What HSE L117 is

HSE L117 is the Health and Safety Executive’s book on training lift truck operators and using lift trucks safely. The law it supports is regulation 9 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), the duty to train people who use work equipment. L117 holds HSE’s Approved Code of Practice and guidance on meeting that duty for rider-operated lift trucks.

In short

Operators need written authority from the employer for each truck type they use.
Training runs in three stages before an operator works unsupervised.
Training providers do not have to belong to an accrediting body, and there is no fixed refresher period.
Lift trucks are lifting equipment, so LOLER’s thorough examinations apply as well.

Full title	Rider-operated lift trucks: Operator training and safe use. Approved Code of Practice and guidance
Reference	L117
Current edition	Third edition, published 2013. First published in 1988, with a second edition in 1999.
Publisher	Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
Status	Current
Legal status	In Great Britain, an Approved Code of Practice under section 16 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 on PUWER regulation 9, printed with guidance that is not compulsory
Northern Ireland	Approved by HSENI for regulation 9 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

Audience

Who L117 is for

HSE aims the book at employers and others responsible for running lift trucks safely, including people in control of worksites, managers, supervisors and the self-employed. A self-employed operator needs the same training, to the same standard, as an employee.

The code covers rider-operated trucks that stack loads, such as counterbalance, reach and rough terrain trucks and telescopic handlers, including articulated types. Trucks outside the code, such as pedestrian-operated trucks and straddle carriers, are covered by the guidance, and PUWER’s training duty applies to every kind of lift truck.

Contents

What L117 covers

Most of the book is about training. It sets out three stages, all completed before an operator works unsupervised:

Basic training	The skills and knowledge to operate the truck type safely, off the job
Specific job training	The truck and attachments the operator will use, and site rules such as speed limits and work near overhead lines
Familiarisation	Supervised work on the job, in the place the operator will work

After that, the employer gives the operator written authority to use named truck types. Instructors should be trained in instruction and assessment, and only teach on truck types and attachments they have been trained and tested on as operators. Training providers do not have to join an accrediting body, and HSE no longer runs an accreditation scheme. There is no fixed period for refresher training: operators are monitored and retested when needed, and some employers choose an automatic retest every few years.

The rest of the book covers safe use: selecting operators who are fit for the work, the effect of attachments on a truck’s capacity, site layout and rules, and lifting people.

Lifting

How L117 applies to lifting and machine moving

A lift truck lifts loads, so the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) apply alongside PUWER. L117 reminds readers that every lifting operation with a lift truck should be planned by a competent person. The lifting parts, such as the chains and forks, need a thorough examination at least every 12 months, or every 6 months if the truck is ever used to lift people, unless an examination scheme sets other intervals. A routine maintenance check does not count as a thorough examination. Northern Ireland has its own 1999 version of LOLER.

People should never ride on the forks or on a pallet. For planned work at height, L117 points to integrated working platforms. A platform that is not part of the truck is allowed only in exceptional circumstances for occasional, unplanned use.

Moving a machine with a forklift or telehandler and an attachment such as a jib reduces what the truck can carry. The derated capacity, agreed with the manufacturer or authorised supplier and shown on a new capacity plate, sets the limit. Training covers any attachment the operator will use, in basic training and again in specific job training.

A green all-terrain crane rigged beside a large grey industrial building, with a lorry, a pick-up and a red telehandler parked on the yard — A telehandler and lorries in a yard beside a rigged mobile crane.

The law

The legal status of L117

The code in L117 was approved under section 16 of the 1974 Act in 1999 and carried over unchanged into the third edition. Breaking it is not an offence in itself, but under section 17 a court can rely on it: if the code was not followed, the defendant must show they met PUWER’s training duty another way. In Scotland, HSE reports cases to the procurator fiscal, who decides whether to prosecute.

The guidance is advisory, though the legal duties it describes, such as LOLER examinations, are not. HSE’s note on legal status says following the guidance will normally be enough to comply.

HSENI has approved the L117 code for regulation 9 of the 1999 Northern Ireland version of PUWER, and Article 19 of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 gives it the same standing in court there. HSENI and the district councils enforce.

Editions

Editions and how to get L117

L117 was first published in 1988 and revised in 1999. The third edition in 2013 kept the code as it was and brought in material from HSE’s former guide on safety in working with lift trucks, HSG6, which it replaced.

HSE publishes the full book as a free PDF, and its lift truck training page summarises the main points.

Sources and further reading

Questions

Common questions

When does a lift truck operator need refresher training?

L117 sets no fixed period. Operators are monitored, and retested or retrained where that shows a need. A scheduled retest every few years is one option.

Who can train lift truck operators?

An instructor trained in instruction and assessment, with enough industry experience. The training provider can be in-house or external, and membership of an accrediting body is voluntary.