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Forklift Safe Work Instruction Template

The safe work instruction from the Forklift Safety & Competency Pack, on its own: what the operator does, step by step, the hazards and controls, and when to stop.

  • EquipmentForklift
  • TaskOperating a forklift
  • DocumentsSafe work instruction (SWI)
  • FormatsWord (.docx), editable
  • CodeDOC-FLT-SWI
  • Version1.0 · 316 KB ZIP

About this document

A safe work instruction tells the operator how to do the work safely at your site: the purpose and scope, who may do the work, the equipment, the hazards and their controls (most effective first), PPE, the steps with clear stop points, emergencies, consultation and approval, and a signed acknowledgement. A short setup note lists what to adapt and every placeholder.

It is the same document as in the Forklift Safety & Competency Pack, word for word. The Forklift VOC Assessment Template checks a operator can do the work in it, and the Forklift Field Verification Checklist checks on site that the controls it relies on are working. Both are sold on their own too. The Forklift Safety & Competency Pack contains all of them, with the pre-start checklist and a setup guide.

A VOC supports workplace competency verification. It does not replace a high risk work licence where one is required. Forklift operators must hold the high risk work licence the forklift requires. A VOC does not replace it.

Who it is for

  • Businesses that run a forklift
  • Supervisors who brief operators on how the work is done at their site
  • Businesses that already verify competency and need the safe work instruction the VOC checks against
  • WHS advisers replacing an instruction that does not match the site

What it helps you do

  • Give operators one clear instruction that matches how your site works
  • Mark the points where the work stops until a condition is met
  • Record who was consulted, who approved it and when it is reviewed
  • Brief each operator and keep their signed acknowledgement
  • Give the VOC and the field verification something to check against

What is included

Delivered as one ZIP download. The files below are editable, and every Word document also comes as a PDF. Each download also includes Read Me First, a Setup Note, a Product Overview, the Permitted Use Terms and Version Information (PDF).

FileFormatWhat it is for
Forklift Safe Work InstructionWord (.docx)Step-by-step instruction for the operator: before, during and after operating, with the hazards and controls at each step.

How the documents work together

The safe work instruction is where the documents start: the VOC checks a operator can do the work in it, the pre-start checklist covers each job, and the field verification checks the controls it relies on. The Forklift Safety & Competency Pack contains all four.

Safe work instruction

Tells the operator what to do

The steps, hazards and controls for the task, written for the person doing it.

Included

VOC assessment

Checks they can do it

Verifies each operator against that same instruction, on your equipment, with evidence and a clear outcome.

In the pack

Pre-start checklist

Checks the equipment is fit to use

Every shift, before use, with clear do-not-operate criteria.

In the pack

Field verification

Checks the controls are working on site

A supervisor checks on the floor that the controls the instruction relies on are in place and effective.

In the pack

What supervisors find in the field feeds back into the instruction and the VOC.

Set it up for your site

Before first use, adapt the documents to:

  • Your equipment: make, model, capacity, attachments and any site-specific modifications
  • The manufacturer's operating instructions and data plate, which take priority over anything generic
  • Your site layout: traffic routes, pedestrian walkways, exclusion zones, loading areas and speed limits
  • Your local controls, procedures, emergency arrangements and reporting lines
  • Consult the workers who do the task, and your Health and Safety Representative if you have one
  • Review the documents after an incident, a near miss, new equipment or a change to the site

What you need

  • Your forklift details and the manufacturer's instructions
  • Your site layout and your local controls
  • Someone competent to adapt the safe work instruction and brief the operators
  • Time to consult the operators who will use it

Before you use them

  • Forklift operators must hold the high risk work licence the forklift requires. A VOC does not replace it.
  • The documents must be adapted to your equipment, the manufacturer's instructions, your site and your local controls before they are used.
  • Using them does not by itself make a workplace compliant with WHS or OHS laws. They support the work of managing the risk; they are not legal advice.

Questions about this document

Is it the same as the safe work instruction in the pack?

Yes, word for word. It is the safe work instruction from the Forklift Safety & Competency Pack, sold on its own with a short setup note.

Should we buy the pack instead?

If you need more than this one document, yes. The Forklift Safety & Competency Pack contains this document, the VOC assessment, the pre-start checklist and the field verification checklist, written to work together, with a setup guide. The pre-start checklist and the setup guide are only in the pack.

Does it replace a licence or a VOC?

No. A VOC supports workplace competency verification. It does not replace a high risk work licence where one is required. Forklift operators must hold the high risk work licence the forklift requires. A VOC does not replace it.

Does it replace the manufacturer's instructions?

No. Where the manufacturer's instructions differ, follow the manufacturer and change the document to match.

Do you need a licence to drive a forklift in Australia?

Yes. Operating a forklift truck is high risk work, and the operator needs a high risk work licence: class LF for a forklift truck, or class LO for an order-picking forklift truck. Licences are issued by the WHS or OHS regulator in each state and territory. A VOC then records that the licensed operator can operate your forklift safely in your workplace.

Is a forklift VOC a licence?

No. The high risk work licence is a legal requirement for the person, issued by the regulator. A VOC (verification of competency) is a workplace check that a licensed operator can safely use your forklift, with your attachments, on your site. It records that check and does not license anyone to operate a forklift.

How often should a forklift VOC be done?

WHS and OHS laws do not set one fixed interval. Most workplaces set their own reassessment period, and reassess sooner when an operator is new to the site, moves to a different forklift or attachment, returns after a long break, or is involved in an incident or near miss. The VOC gives you the same, consistent record each time.

Can we edit the documents?

Yes. Every document is supplied in Word (.docx) or Excel (.xlsx), so you can add your logo, change the wording and adapt it to your workplace. The copyright notice must stay.

Do we need to adapt them before use?

Yes. The documents must be adapted to your equipment, the manufacturer's instructions, your site and your local controls before they are used. The setup note in the download lists what to change.

Will these documents make us compliant?

No document can. Your duties are met by managing the risks in your actual workplace. Using them does not by itself make a workplace compliant with WHS or OHS laws. They support the work of managing the risk; they are not legal advice.

Is GST included in the price?

Yes. Every price in the store includes GST, so $49.00 is the total, including $4.45 GST. Your receipt is a tax invoice showing the GST.

How are the files delivered?

As a ZIP download. Card purchases can be downloaded straight away from the confirmation page and by a link we email you. Download links expire after 14 days for security; you can request a new one at any time.

Can we order by invoice, or for several sites?

Yes. Use Request an Invoice to order through your normal procurement process, with a purchase order number and quantities if you need them. The files are released once payment is confirmed.

Can we use them at more than one site?

Yes, across your own organisation. The documents are licensed for internal use by the purchasing organisation. A consultant, labour hire business or training provider supplying them to clients needs separate written permission.

Can we use them outside Australia?

They are written for Australian workplaces and refer to Australian WHS and OHS laws and licences. A business elsewhere should replace those references with its own country's requirements. Everything is editable for that.

What is your refund policy?

Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law are not affected. See the Refund Policy for how we handle a document that is faulty, not as described, or not what you ordered.

Licence and legal information here is general. It may not be correct in your jurisdiction: please check with your local WHS or OHS regulator.

Ordering for a business or several sites? Request an invoice. Other questions: contact us.

Goes well with

Start with a toolbox talk to brief the crew on the hazard, then use the safe work instruction, the VOC and the field verification checklist to set and check the controls.

Mobile Equipment and Vehicle Interaction Awareness

For: Workers on sites with forklifts, trucks, loaders or light vehiclesDuration: 20–30 minutes

For anyone who works around forklifts, trucks, loaders or utes: how people are hit by mobile equipment, and the habits that keep pedestrians and machines apart.

What's included
  • Editable slides with speaker notes, plus PDF
  • Facilitator guide and participant handout
  • Multiple-choice assessment with answer key
  • Attendance record form and certificate template

Workplace Traffic Management Awareness

For: All workersDuration: 20–30 minutes

For everyone on a site with vehicle movements, including delivery drivers and visitors: the traffic management plan, site layout and rules that keep people and vehicles apart.

What's included
  • Editable slides with speaker notes, plus PDF
  • Facilitator guide and participant handout
  • Multiple-choice assessment with answer key
  • Attendance record form and certificate template

Separating people from mobile plant is a common critical control. To manage it as one, with performance standards and field verification across the business, see the Critical Control Management series.

Related documents

Forklift Safety & Competency Pack

For: Businesses that run forklifts

Safe work instruction, VOC assessment, pre-start checklist and a supervisor field verification checklist for forklift and pedestrian separation, written to work together.

What's included
  • Forklift safe work instruction
  • Forklift VOC assessment, with an Excel VOC register
  • Pre-start checklist and supervisor field verification checklist
  • Setup guide: what to adapt for your site

Forklift VOC Assessment Template

For: Supervisors, WHS advisers and workplace assessors

Verify forklift operators on your site and equipment: knowledge questions with a marking guide, practical observation checklist, fail criteria and sign-off.

What's included
  • Knowledge questions with a marking guide
  • Practical observation checklist
  • Evidence requirements and safety-critical fail criteria
  • Assessor sign-off, plus an Excel VOC register

Forklift Field Verification Checklist

For: Supervisors, managers and WHS advisers

The supervisor's field verification checklist from the pack, on its own: checks on site that the controls for the work are in place and working.

What's included
  • Checks marked Pass, Not met or N/A, with the evidence seen
  • Critical controls marked, with same-shift escalation
  • Questions for the people doing the work
  • Actions, owners, due dates and sign-off, plus a setup note