Fine for Driving Forklift without License

Many forklift-related accidents are attributed to operator carelessness or being unfamiliar with the equipment or licensed to operate a forklift and lead to tickets for driving forklifts without a license.

Studies show that companies that implement proper forklift training programs for their operators and conduct daily pre-shift inspections are more likely to reduce forklift accidents as well as help reduce their downtime and costs.

Likewise, pre-shift inspections can help identify maintenance issues to further increase forklift life, develop operator skills and potentially reduce equipment downtime.

Fines for unlicensed forklift drivers

What is the penalty for operating a forklift without proper certification?

What would happen is entirely up to the inspector who comes to your workplace. What could happen is actually quite serious.

The laws change in each country, in Canada, for example, you can be personally fined up to a maximum of $25,000.00 and sentenced to up to 1 year in prison.

Your supervisor could face the same penalties. Neither can they be paid by the company, they must be paid by the fined person.

The company you work for could be fined up to $500,000 and personal fines can be imposed on any supervisor, manager, even the CEO.

All this is unlikely in a whirlwind inspection. Most likely, the company will receive a small fine ($100.00 to $500.00) and a stop work order will be issued, effectively closing the business until it has renewed its certification.

However, if there was a critical injury at his workplace, whether or not he was involved, there is a good chance that the much more severe penalties described above will apply.

Inspectors will look at the entire business and set fines for each violation found, regardless of the violation’s involvement in the incident.

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