Free forklift safety program template
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Free forklift safety program template (PDF-ready). Operator licensing, pre-start checks, pedestrian separation, refuelling, load handling and training.
Commercial Director
Key takeaways
- Forklifts are powered mobile plant covered by powered mobile plant duties in the WHS Regulation 2017.
- Operators must hold the relevant High Risk Work Licence, typically class LF, plus site verification of competency.
- Pedestrian separation and traffic management are the controls that prevent the most serious forklift injuries.
- A pre-start inspection is one control inside the program, completed before use every shift.
- Review the program annually and after any incident, new truck or layout change.
Updated 22 June 2026
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What is a forklift safety program template?
A forklift safety program template is a single document that sets out how an organisation controls the risks of operating forklifts and other powered industrial trucks across a site. It captures the scope and the plant covered, the operator licensing and verification of competency requirements, the daily pre-start inspection routine, the traffic management and pedestrian separation rules, the refuelling and battery charging controls, the safe load handling limits, the maintenance and fault reporting process, and the training, supervision and review arrangements that keep the program current. Written as a controlled document rather than a checklist, it gives supervisors, operators and visitors one reference for how forklifts are run safely.
Forklifts are powered mobile plant and are one of the most common causes of serious workplace injury in Australian warehouses, yards and depots, so the controls around them are a direct duty under work health and safety law. A documented program turns scattered rules into an auditable system: it shows what hazards were identified, what controls were chosen, who is authorised to operate, and how the controls are checked and maintained over time. Aligning the program with the powered mobile plant duties in the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 and the operation guidance in AS 2359 gives a person conducting a business or undertaking clear evidence that forklift risks are being managed, not just hoped away.
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Benefits of using this forklift safety program template
- Fewer pedestrian incidents: documented separation rules and exclusion zones keep people and forklifts apart, which is where the most serious injuries happen.
- Verified operators only: a licence and competency register stops unlicensed or unfamiliar people operating plant they are not authorised to run.
- Consistent pre-start discipline: a defined daily inspection routine catches brake, mast, tyre and hydraulic faults before the forklift carries a load.
- Auditable compliance: a controlled program with named controls is strong objective evidence of meeting powered mobile plant duties during a regulator visit.
- Less unplanned downtime: a clear fault reporting and maintenance link gets defects fixed early instead of running plant to failure mid shift.
- Safer refuelling and charging: written controls for LPG, diesel and battery charging reduce fire, fume and manual handling risks in the refuelling area.
- Faster inductions: one reference document gets new operators, contractors and labour hire up to the site standard without relying on word of mouth.
Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack
When you move your plans from paper to MapTrack, you get:
- Field users can easily scan a QR code to complete a form on mobile. Unlimited users.
- Automatically get alerts when faults are identified.
- Link every form digitally as a PDF to the relevant asset, location or person.
- Receive a digital PDF copy with every submission to your email.
- Ability to share forms digitally.
- Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
- Take pictures or attach photos. Not possible with a paper-based form.
- Electronic signatures.
- Edit forms later without reprinting.
- Restrict permissions (who can view, complete or approve).
- Build forms with AI (describe what you need and MapTrack suggests the form).
- Escalate critical hazards instantly to safety managers via push notification.
- Maintain an auditable safety register that satisfies WHS regulator requests.
- Correlate incident trends across sites with built-in safety analytics.
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What to include in a forklift safety program template
This forklift safety program template covers 9 key areas:
- Program scope: the sites, areas and types of forklift or powered industrial truck covered
- Roles and responsibilities: PCBU, supervisors, operators, pedestrians and visitors
- Operator licensing: High Risk Work Licence class held, plus site verification of competency
- Pre-start inspection: the daily check routine, defect tagging and out of service process
- Traffic management: designated routes, speed limits, pedestrian separation and exclusion zones
- Load handling: rated capacity, load chart use, stacking limits and travel with the load lowered
- Refuelling and charging: LPG, diesel and battery charging controls, signage and isolation
- Maintenance and fault reporting: scheduled servicing, the fault reporting path and records kept
- Training, supervision and review: induction, refresher training, supervision and review triggers
How to use this forklift safety program template
- Define scope and assess the hazards: List every forklift and powered industrial truck on site and the areas they work in, then run a risk assessment with operators and supervisors. Identify the pedestrian, load, refuelling and traffic hazards specific to your layout rather than copying a generic list.
- Set licensing and competency controls: Record the High Risk Work Licence class required for each truck and add a site verification of competency step. Keep a register of authorised operators so anyone supervising can confirm at a glance who is cleared to run which plant.
- Establish daily pre-start and defect handling: Define the pre-start inspection routine, where the records are kept, and exactly what happens when a check fails. Make the out of service tag and fault reporting path unambiguous so a defective forklift is parked and reported, not quietly kept running.
- Document traffic, load and refuelling controls: Map the designated routes, speed limits, pedestrian separation and exclusion zones, then set the load handling and refuelling rules. Pair the written controls with line marking, signage and barriers on the floor so the document matches what people actually see.
- Train, supervise and review the program: Induct operators and pedestrians into the program, schedule refresher training, and define how supervision confirms the controls are followed. Set review triggers such as an incident, a new forklift or a layout change so the program stays current instead of going stale.
In MapTrack, you can digitise safety inspections and compliance forms. Each submission is stored as a timestamped PDF against the asset record.
Get the free templateEnter your email above to download the full forklift safety program template as a PDF.Back to download formHow often should you complete this plan?
Treat the program as a living document, not a one off. Operators complete a pre-start inspection at the start of every shift or before first use, and forklifts follow a scheduled servicing interval set by the manufacturer and hours of use. Authorised operator records and licence expiry dates are checked on a rolling basis so no one operates on a lapsed licence.
Review the full program at least annually, and sooner if there is an incident or near miss, a new type of forklift is introduced, the site layout or traffic flow changes, or the relevant standard or regulation is updated. A short documented review that confirms the controls still match the site is far more useful than a thick program that no one has opened since it was written.
Frequently asked questions
Applicable regulatory standards
This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011, primary duty of care (s19)
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017, powered mobile plant control of risk (reg 214, reg 215)
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017, maintenance and inspection of plant (reg 213)
- High Risk Work Licence (HRWL) class LF for forklift operation
- AS 2359 Powered industrial trucks (selection, operation and maintenance)
- ISO 45001:2018 Occupational health and safety management systems
Embed this free template on your website
Run an industry blog, trade association site, or training resource? Drop a preview of this free forklift safety program template straight into your page. The snippet is self-contained, needs no scripts, and links readers back to the full free template.
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<p style="font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.05em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#0E7490;margin:0;">Free template</p>
<p style="font-size:18px;font-weight:700;color:#071D49;margin:6px 0 0;">Forklift safety program template</p>
<ul style="margin:12px 0 0;padding-left:18px;color:#374151;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;">
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Program scope: the sites, areas and types of forklift or powered industrial truck covered</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Roles and responsibilities: PCBU, supervisors, operators, pedestrians and visitors</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Operator licensing: High Risk Work Licence class held, plus site verification of competency</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Pre-start inspection: the daily check routine, defect tagging and out of service process</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Traffic management: designated routes, speed limits, pedestrian separation and exclusion zones</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Load handling: rated capacity, load chart use, stacking limits and travel with the load lowered</li>
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<p style="font-size:13px;color:#6B7280;margin:14px 0 0;padding-top:12px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;">Free <a href="https://www.maptrack.com/templates/forklift-safety-program-template" style="color:#071D49;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none;">Forklift safety program template</a> by MapTrack</p>
</div>Please keep the “by MapTrack” attribution link in the snippet.
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