22 Pre-Operation Inspection & Operator Requirements Practice Questions & Answers
Every Pre-Operation Inspection & Operator Requirements practice question from the Forklift Operator (OSHA) Practice Test, with the correct answer and a short explanation.
Start practice test →1. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178, how often must a powered industrial truck be examined for conditions that affect its safety?
- A.Once a week
- B.Once a month
- C.At least daily, before it is placed in service✓ Answer
- D.Only when the operator suspects a problem
Section 1910.178(q)(7) requires that trucks be examined before being placed in service and that such examination be made at least daily, so a defect is caught before anyone is exposed to the hazard.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7)Report a problem with this question
2. When forklifts are used around the clock on multiple shifts, when must each truck be examined?
- A.Only at the end of the week
- B.Once at the start of the day only
- C.After each shift✓ Answer
- D.Once every 24 hours regardless of shifts
Section 1910.178(q)(7) states that where trucks are used on a round-the-clock basis they shall be examined after each shift, because wear or damage can occur during any shift.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7)Report a problem with this question
3. During a pre-shift inspection an operator finds the forklift is defective and unsafe. What does OSHA require?
- A.Take the truck out of service until it is restored to safe operating condition✓ Answer
- B.Tag it but keep using it for short trips
- C.Operate it carefully until the end of the shift
- D.Reduce the load capacity by half and keep working
Section 1910.178(p)(1) requires that if a truck is found to be in need of repair, defective, or unsafe, it be taken out of service until it is restored to safe operating condition, so no one is exposed to the hazard.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(p)(1)Report a problem with this question
4. Who is permitted to operate a powered industrial truck in the workplace?
- A.Any employee who needs to move a load
- B.Only operators who have been trained and authorized (certified)✓ Answer
- C.Any employee over 21 who holds a driver's license
- D.Temporary workers without training if informally supervised
Section 1910.178(l)(1)(i) allows only trained and authorized operators to operate a powered industrial truck; the employer must ensure each operator is competent through training and evaluation.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(1)(i)Report a problem with this question
5. How often must an employer evaluate each forklift operator's performance?
- A.Every five years
- B.Every year
- C.Only once, at initial hire
- D.At least once every three years✓ Answer
Section 1910.178(l)(4)(iii) requires that an evaluation of each operator's performance be conducted at least once every three years to confirm the operator still operates safely.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(iii)Report a problem with this question
6. Which situation requires that an operator receive refresher training and re-evaluation?
- A.The operator has been operating safely for a year
- B.The forklift was refueled
- C.The operator was involved in an accident or a near-miss✓ Answer
- D.A new operator was hired in another department
Section 1910.178(l)(4)(ii) requires refresher training when an operator is involved in an accident or near-miss, because the event signals a need to reinforce safe operating practices.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(ii)Report a problem with this question
7. Under 1910.178(l), forklift operator training must consist of which combination?
- A.Only a written test
- B.Formal instruction, practical (hands-on) training, and evaluation of the operator's performance✓ Answer
- C.Only watching a coworker operate
- D.A signed waiver and a safety video
Section 1910.178(l)(2) requires training to consist of formal instruction, practical training, and an evaluation of the operator's performance in the workplace, ensuring both knowledge and demonstrated skill.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(2)(ii)Report a problem with this question
8. The employer's certification that an operator was trained and evaluated must include which information?
- A.The forklift's serial number only
- B.The operator's name, the training date, the evaluation date, and the identity of the trainer/evaluator✓ Answer
- C.The operator's home address and pay rate
- D.Only the operator's name
Section 1910.178(l)(6) requires the certification to include the operator's name, the date of the training, the date of the evaluation, and the identity of the person(s) performing the training or evaluation.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(6)Report a problem with this question
9. An attachment or modification that affects a forklift's capacity or safe operation may be installed only when...
- A.A coworker has installed one before
- B.It is done on a weekend
- C.The operator approves it
- D.The manufacturer gives prior written approval and the capacity/operation plates are changed accordingly✓ Answer
Section 1910.178(a)(4) prohibits modifications affecting capacity or safe operation without the manufacturer's prior written approval, and the capacity and operation plates must be changed to match.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(a)(4)Report a problem with this question
10. A forklift's data (capacity) plate is missing or unreadable. What should the operator do?
- A.Ask another operator to recall the capacity from memory
- B.Operate it only with light loads
- C.Take the truck out of service and report it, because the rated capacity cannot be verified✓ Answer
- D.Guess the capacity from the truck's size
Section 1910.178(a)(3) requires nameplates and markings to be in place and legible; without a readable capacity plate the operator cannot confirm the safe load limit, so the truck should be removed from service and reported.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(a)(3)Report a problem with this question
11. When should the daily pre-operation inspection be performed?
- A.After the shift ends
- B.Only after refueling
- C.Once a week before Monday
- D.Before the truck is placed in service at the start of the shift✓ Answer
Section 1910.178(q)(7) requires the examination to be made before the truck is placed in service and at least daily, so defects are caught before the truck is used.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7)Report a problem with this question
12. Who is normally responsible for performing the pre-shift forklift inspection?
- A.Only a licensed mechanic
- B.Only the plant safety manager
- C.The trained operator assigned to the truck✓ Answer
- D.No one; the inspection is optional
The daily examination required by 1910.178(q)(7) is performed by the trained operator as part of safe operation before the truck is placed in service; a mechanic is only needed for repairs.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7)Report a problem with this question
13. Checking that the service brake will hold and stop the truck is best described as what kind of pre-op check?
- A.An operational (functional) check performed before use✓ Answer
- B.A check that is not required
- C.A cosmetic (appearance) check
- D.A check needed only once a year
Brakes are verified in the operational portion of the daily examination because a truck that cannot stop is a condition adversely affecting safety under 1910.178(q)(7), so it must not be placed in service.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7)Report a problem with this question
14. Why is the horn tested during the pre-operation inspection?
- A.To measure the fuel level
- B.Because it is a warning device used to alert pedestrians, such as at intersections and blind corners✓ Answer
- C.To check the tire pressure
- D.It is only for decoration
Section 1910.178(n)(4) requires operators to sound the horn at cross aisles and where the view is obstructed, so a working horn must be confirmed before use to warn pedestrians.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(n)(4)Report a problem with this question
15. If a forklift is equipped with a backup alarm and warning lights, why are they checked during inspection?
- A.To warn nearby pedestrians and make the truck's movement noticeable✓ Answer
- B.To increase travel speed
- C.To satisfy a paperwork rule only
- D.To save battery power
Warning devices protect pedestrians, and any such device that is defective makes the truck unsafe; under 1910.178(p)(1) an inoperative safety device requires the truck to be taken out of service, so the devices are verified during the daily check.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(p)(1)Report a problem with this question
16. On a sit-down counterbalanced forklift equipped with a seat belt, OSHA requires that the operator...
- A.Wear the seat belt to reduce the risk of being crushed in a tip-over✓ Answer
- B.Leave it unbuckled for a quick exit
- C.Use it only when driving on ramps
- D.Remove it to be able to move faster
In a lateral tip-over the greatest danger is the operator jumping and being crushed by the overhead guard; the seat belt keeps the operator inside the protective zone, so OSHA requires its use (enforced under the manufacturer's requirements and the General Duty Clause).
Source: OSHA STD 01-08-002; 29 U.S.C. 654(a)(1) General Duty ClauseReport a problem with this question
17. An operator notices hydraulic fluid leaking from the mast during inspection. The correct action is to...
- A.Operate only in reverse
- B.Wipe it up and ignore it
- C.Remove the truck from service and report the defect✓ Answer
- D.Add more fluid and keep working the whole shift
A hydraulic leak is a defect affecting safe operation because it can cause loss of lifting or lowering control, so under 1910.178(p)(1) the truck must be taken out of service until repaired.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(p)(1)Report a problem with this question
18. When inspecting the forks (tines), the operator should check for...
- A.Nothing—forks never fail
- B.The manufacturer's logo
- C.The paint color
- D.Cracks, bends, excessive heel wear, and that the positioning/locking pins work✓ Answer
Cracked, bent, or heel-worn forks can fail under load and drop it; checking for cracks, bends, heel wear, and working locking pins ensures the forks can safely carry the rated load as required for safe operation under 1910.178.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(q); ASME B56.1Report a problem with this question
19. During the pre-op check the horn does not work. What should the operator do?
- A.Take the truck out of service and report it, because a warning device is inoperative✓ Answer
- B.Operate only in quiet areas
- C.Use hand signals and operate anyway
- D.Wait for the horn to start working on its own
An inoperative horn is a defect affecting safety because pedestrians cannot be warned; under 1910.178(p)(1) the truck must be removed from service until the horn is repaired.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(p)(1)Report a problem with this question
20. What is the minimum age to operate a powered industrial truck in general industry in the United States?
- A.21 years old
- B.There is no minimum age
- C.16 years old
- D.18 years old✓ Answer
Federal child-labor rules (29 CFR 570.58, Hazardous Occupations Order No. 7) prohibit workers under 18 from operating power-driven hoisting apparatus such as forklifts, so operators must be at least 18.
Source: 29 CFR 570.58 (FLSA Hazardous Occupations Order No. 7)Report a problem with this question
21. An operator trained on a stand-up reach truck is reassigned to a sit-down counterbalanced truck of a different type. OSHA requires...
- A.Refresher training and evaluation on the new type of truck✓ Answer
- B.Nothing, because all forklifts are the same
- C.Only a verbal reminder from the supervisor
- D.A five-year waiting period
Section 1910.178(l)(4)(ii) requires refresher training when an operator is assigned to operate a different type of truck, because the handling and stability characteristics differ between truck types.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(ii)(E)Report a problem with this question
22. The layout and traffic conditions in a warehouse change significantly. What does OSHA require for the forklift operators?
- A.Operators must retake a state driver's license test
- B.Nothing changes for the operators
- C.Operators must switch employers
- D.Refresher training and evaluation, because a workplace condition changed in a way that could affect safe operation✓ Answer
Section 1910.178(l)(4)(ii) requires refresher training when a condition in the workplace changes in a manner that could affect safe operation, so operators are prepared for the new hazards and traffic patterns.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(ii)(D)Report a problem with this question
Practice questions modeled on the OSHA Powered Industrial Trucks standard (29 CFR 1910.178). Not affiliated with or endorsed by OSHA. Passing this practice test does not certify you to operate a forklift — federal law requires your employer to provide formal training and a hands-on evaluation. Always follow OSHA rules and your workplace procedures. Study the official standard at osha.gov. OSHA standard →