OSHA requires an evaluation of each powered industrial truck operator at least once every three years, and refresher training sooner after events such as an accident or near miss. A training company can remind employers by storing the evaluation due date in GoHighLevel, reminding the safety manager at six months, 90 days, and 30 days before it, and adding a manual tag when an employer reports an event that triggers refresher training. The bottom line: the three year date is predictable, the events are not, and you need a way to handle both.
What OSHA requires
OSHA's forklift training page says each operator's performance must be evaluated at least once every three years and that employers must certify that each operator has been trained and evaluated. Refresher training and an evaluation of its effectiveness must be provided when the operator has been observed operating the vehicle unsafely, has been involved in an accident or near miss, has received an evaluation showing unsafe operation, is assigned to a different type of truck, or when a workplace condition changes in a way that could affect safe operation.
Two points help a training company. First, a compliance training company notes that OSHA does not require annual forklift training, only the documented evaluation at least every three years, so a customer who asks for annual sessions is choosing a stricter schedule than the rule sets. Second, an equipment dealer's summary of the standard says the employer's certification record must include the operator's name, the training date, the evaluation date, and the identity of the person performing the training or evaluation, which tells you what to collect at each visit.
Two triggers, two workflows
| Trigger | How GoHighLevel handles it | What the employer receives |
|---|---|---|
| Three year evaluation due | Custom Date Reminder at 6 months, 90 days, and 30 days before the due date | A message naming how many operators are due and a booking link |
| Accident, near miss, new truck type, or changed workplace | A tag you add when the employer reports the event, which starts a workflow | A message offering a refresher session, and a task for your scheduler |
Build it in GoHighLevel
- Create a contact for each employer's safety manager. Add a text field for the operator roster and a date field Earliest evaluation due.
- After each evaluation, update the field to the earliest upcoming due date among that employer's operators, which is three years after each operator's evaluation date.
- In Automation, create a new workflow and add the Custom Date Reminder trigger.
- Select Earliest evaluation due and add Before Number of Days set to 180.
- Add Send Email with the roster and your booking link, and Add Task for your scheduler.
- Publish, then build the 90 and 30 day workflows. Add Send SMS to the 30 day workflow.
- Create a tag called refresher needed and a workflow triggered when the tag is added. Add Send Email and Add Task actions.
- If you prefer to track each operator as a record, GoHighLevel's custom objects have their own date fields and workflow triggers. Check in your account how those workflows address the employer contact before you rely on them.
Email to send at 90 days
Subject: Forklift operator evaluations due at [company] by [earliest evaluation due]. Hi [first name], OSHA requires each forklift operator to be evaluated at least once every three years. Operators at [company] are due starting [earliest evaluation due]. Book an evaluation day here: [booking link]. If an operator has had an accident, near miss, or a new truck assignment, tell us and we will schedule refresher training sooner.
What the workload looks like
If you serve 250 employers averaging eight operators each, that is about 2,000 operators. On a three year cycle that is roughly 667 evaluations a year (2,000 divided by three), or about 13 a week (667 divided by 52 is 12.8). Employers do not track their own three year dates well, so the company that sends the reminder keeps the booking.
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating three years as a certificate expiry. It is the maximum interval between evaluations, and events can require training sooner.
- Ignoring truck type changes. An operator assigned to a different type of truck needs refresher training.
- Skipping the certification details. Record the operator's name, dates, and the evaluator at every visit.
- Waiting for the employer to report an event. Ask about accidents and near misses in each reminder.
Check before you switch it on
US text messages sent from a standard 10 digit number need A2P 10DLC registration. The HighLevel support portal says registration is required for texts to US recipients from 10 digit long code numbers and that toll free numbers do not require it. HighLevel's opt in guidelines also say a person cannot be forced to agree to text messages in order to submit a form, so keep the consent box optional. One compliance guide separates informational texts, which need documented consent, from marketing texts, which need prior express written consent. Ask your attorney which category your reminders fall into. Safety managers are business contacts. Use email for rosters and text as a short nudge after they have opted in. This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
Does OSHA require annual forklift training?
OSHA requires an evaluation at least every three years plus refresher training after specified events. A compliance training company notes it does not require annual training.
What events require refresher training?
OSHA lists unsafe operation, an accident or near miss, an evaluation showing unsafe operation, assignment to a different type of truck, and a changed workplace condition.
What must the employer's certification record include?
An equipment dealer summarizing the standard lists the operator's name, the training date, the evaluation date, and the identity of the person performing the training or evaluation.
Ready to try it yourself? Start a GoHighLevel account here.
You can also see this in action in our GoHighLevel capabilities demo.