The numbers are indeed high and saddest of all, they have actually increased since the 1999 when the OSHA Powered Industrial Truck Operator Training standard was promulgated.

Based on my experience as a training provider, I would say that more forklift operators are trained (and being trained) than ever before but there has also been a dramatic increase in the overall number of operators. Proportionately there is still a staggering number of operators being improperly trained or not trained at all. However, the most significant problem seems to be the inability and/or unwillingness of employers to monitor operations and correct unsafe behavior. Operators, even well trained ones, are simply permitted to slip into unsafe patterns with no consequences and until that changes, the injury and death will continue.

I can't speak for the industry but we charge a day rate of roughly 2K and can certify up to 8 operators ion 8 hours.

Pricing, max allowable registration etc varies widely throughout the training industry but most reputable providers will come in at around $200 per head, spend 3 to 4 hours on classroom theory, maybe 1-hr hands-on training and 20 to 30 minute driving evaluation.

We feel the best solution for employer is to train one of their own to train the in-house operators. This makes it much easier to comply with the applicable OSHA standards and gives them much more flexibility relative to timing, scheduling, etc.