Why do warehouses struggle to track which contractors have current forklift certifications?
Warehouses face significant challenges in maintaining accurate, real-time records of contractor forklift certifications due to the complex, often fragmented nature of supply chain operations and evolving regulatory expectations. As of December 2025, maintaining a safe work environment under Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation requires verifying competency for high-risk tasks like forklift operation, but this verification is complicated when relying on external labour.
Manufacturing and warehousing typically operate with a high volume of short-term contractor engagements. Identity verification processes, while improving, often focus on basic onboarding – right-to-work checks – rather than detailed skill validation. Contractor documentation (certification cards, training records) is frequently submitted as images or PDFs, creating data entry errors and making automated tracking difficult. Furthermore, certification expiry dates vary, and proactively following up with multiple contracting companies to confirm renewals is resource-intensive. In the US, similar challenges exist, though oversight falls under OSHA regulations and state-level licensing requirements. Child Safe Standards, while not directly applicable to warehousing, highlight the broader expectation of due diligence in ensuring the safety of anyone on site, including contractors. Audits in 2026 now expect demonstrable systems for managing contractor competency.
This results in a persistent risk of unqualified individuals operating forklifts, potentially leading to workplace incidents and non-compliance with WHS obligations.
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