Knowledge base · updated on 14/10/2026

Safety & Regulation

Safe Work with a Rental Forklift – Rules, Inspections, and Responsibilities

Short answer: With a rental forklift, the rental company supplies a technically safe, inspected machine; as the employer, you remain responsible for safe use. That means: a trained and instructed operator, clear working arrangements and a safely organised work floor. The law does not mention the forklift certificate by name, but you must be able to demonstrate that the operator is competent. Our rental machines are delivered VA-keur inspected.

Renting a forklift can sometimes seem like a “simple” choice: pick the type, agree on the rate, and drive off. But legally and practically, there's more to it. Who is responsible for inspection? Does the driver need a forklift certificate? And what about driving the forklift on public roads?

In this article, we will discuss the most important Rules, inspections, and responsibilities row of forklifts in a row. Obviously, with the starting point: safe work with modern Hyundai forklifts via HeftruckHuren.com.

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1. Why safety is so important with rental forklifts

A forklift is a powerful piece of work equipment. Mistakes or unclear agreements can lead to:

Accidents with injuries or worse;
Damage to goods, shelving, and buildings;
Fines or a shutdown by the Netherlands Labour Authority;
Discussions with insurers about liability.

By clearly arranging in advance how it works with inspection, training, and responsibility, you prevent hassle afterwards. At HeftruckHuren.com, we therefore always think along about the big picture, not just about tonnage and rental rates.

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Laws and Regulations at a Glance

In the Netherlands, forklifts fall under the Working Conditions Act (Arbo Act).The core: as an employer, you must ensure a safe workplace safe work equipment.

The forklift must be technically sound and periodically inspected.;
The driver must be sufficiently trained and instructed.;
There must be clear work agreements and traffic rules on the work floor.

If you use the forklift on public roads (e.g., crossing to another site), rules regarding Registration and license plate requirement.You can read more about that in the article Registration and license plate requirement for forklifts via the RDW on NieuweHeftruckKopen.nl.

Important: the owner or lessee of the forklift (i.e., your company) remains ultimately responsible for its safe use – even if the forklift is delivered after a proper inspection.

3. Inspection & Maintenance: How does that work with a rental forklift?

A rental forklift from HeftruckHuren.com is delivered VA-keur inspected, with inspection sticker and documentation. Report defects and unsafe situations to us immediately. Read also how often does a forklift need to be inspected?

A forklift must inspected periodically for safety. Many companies use independent labels, such as VA-certified, for their forklifts and other work equipment.

With a rental forklift, there are roughly two questions:

Is the forklift approved and delivered?
Who arranges and pays for the periodic inspections during the rental period?

How we arrange this at HeftruckHuren.com

Our rental forklifts are checked and approved according to current guidelines;
You will receive a forklift with an inspection sticker and documentation.;
For longer rental periods, we plan the following inspections and maintenance as needed.;
Maintenance and inspection fall within our Full-service rental concept.

This means you don't need to set up a separate inspection schedule for the rental forklift yourself – however, it remains your responsibility to immediately report unsafe situations or noticeable defects.

Overview of the outdoor area with forklifts at HeftruckHuren.com

Delivery of Hyundai 30D-9V forklift to a customer on the roadside

4. Forklift Certificate and Training: Who is allowed to drive?

Anyone who is sufficiently competent and instructed may drive a forklift; as an employer, you must be able to demonstrate this. Certificate, age and supervision are explained in Who can drive a forklift?

A frequently asked question: Is a forklift certificate mandatory? The law doesn't explicitly mention the certificate, but it does state that the driver sufficiently expert and instructed must. In practice, that is usually fulfilled through an certified forklift training program with a certificate.

Drivers must know how to drive and stack safely.;
They must be familiar with the specific forklift and work environment;
Employers must be able to demonstrate this to the Netherlands Labour Authority and the insurer.

When you rent a forklift from HeftruckHuren.com, we deliver the machine safely and ready for use. As the employer, you are responsible for a qualified driver and clear working agreements.

Tip let new drivers get used to it gradually in a closed-off part of the premises before they drive in busy logistics zones. Especially with heavier trucks or heavy-duty forklifts does this make a big difference in safety.

5. Practical Workplace Safety

Besides laws and regulations, there is especially a lot to gain with practical safety measures.A few important points:

1) Clear driving and walking routes

Mark pedestrian walkways and forklift lanes.;
Use physical separation where possible (fencing, bollards);
Ensure good lighting in warehouses and docks.

2) Speed and handling

Agree on a maximum speed inside and outside;
Prohibit sharp turns with a raised load;
Always let drivers drive with the mast lowered and a clear line of sight.

3) Forklift visibility

Check work lighting, horn, and warning signals;
Consider additional options such as blue-spot or warning beacon;
Keep the forklift clean – dirty windows or mirrors limit visibility.

4) Attachment equipment & load handling

With the right attachment equipment work safer and more efficiently:

Forklift with bucket for loose material;
Forklift with fork rotator for tilting and emptying containers;
Extension booms and special booms for longer loads.

5) Battery charging, LPG and diesel

Set up a separate, ventilated charging area for electric forklifts.;
Only authorized employees may change LPG cylinders.;
Ensure safe storage of gas cylinders and fuels.

6. Responsibilities: Landlord vs. Employer

Who is precisely responsible for what when you rent a forklift? In short:

Responsibility of HeftruckHuren.com (lessor)

Deliver a technically safe and well-maintained forklift;
Ensure inspection and documentation according to agreements;
Troubleshooting and fixing defects after reporting.;
Provide advice on the correct type of forklift and its deployment.

Employer responsibility (tenant)

Operating the forklift correctly according to instructions;
Only let trained and instructed drivers drive.;
Report unsafe situations or defects immediately.;
Ensure safe workplace design and internal traffic rules.

By having these responsibilities clearly defined, you prevent disputes when something goes wrong. If you have any doubts, you can always discuss them with our advisors.

7. Checklist: How to make your business ‘forklift-proof’

With this checklist, you can quickly check your status:

We are working with qualified drivers (forklift certificate / demonstrable training).
Our rental forklifts are purchased or rented including inspection and maintenance.
We know how it is with License plate and registration requirement when we go out on the public road.
The workplace has clear driving routes and walkways.
There are agreements about speed, driving style, and stacking policy.
There is attention for visibility and lighting of forklifts.
We have a procedure for the Reporting defects and near misses.

Still not scoring well everywhere? Then this is the moment to set things in order – for example, at the next opportunity you rent or replace a forklift.

8. Rent a safe Hyundai forklift at HeftruckHuren.com

Via HeftruckHuren.com – part of ZHE Trading B.V. and an official Hyundai partner – you don't just rent a forklift, but a complete, secure solution:

Modern Hyundai forklifts (electric, LPG, and diesel);
Always inspected and well maintained;
Maintenance service, breakdown service and – if necessary – replacement forklift;
Advice on security, deployment, and the right configuration for your company.

Hyundai 80D-9V heavy duty forklift and 30L-9A LPG truck on outdoor lot

Ready to rent a forklift safely and without worries?

Contact us for a suitable rental forklift, including inspection, service, and clear agreements. We are happy to help you find the best, safest solution for your operation.

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Forklift rules: what the law requires of you as an employer

Under the Dutch Working Conditions Decree (Arbobesluit), only an employee with specific expertise may operate a forklift, you set traffic rules for the work zone and you prevent other employees from being in that zone (article 7.17c). The law does not mention a forklift certificate, but you are required to provide effective information and instruction and to supervise compliance (Working Conditions Act, Arbowet, article 8).

Record how you do this. In the Arbo in bedrijf 2024-2025 survey, inspectors of the Netherlands Labour Authority (Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie) asked for examples such as instructions, courses, toolbox meetings or workplace inspections. For safe and healthy work in general, 73% of all employers provided no demonstrable information and instruction, and 68% carried out no supervision or none that could be demonstrated. Who may drive and from what age is explained under forklift certificate and minimum age.

Dutch Working Conditions Decree and Working Conditions Act, current text on wetten.overheid.nl (October 2026).
Rule	Where it is set out
Only operators with specific expertise	Arbobesluit art. 7.17c(1)
Operating instructions provided to the employees concerned in an understandable form	Arbobesluit art. 7.11a(1)
Colleagues who do not drive themselves are also warned about the hazard of forklifts in their work area	Arbobesluit art. 7.11a(2)
Traffic rules for the work zone and the traffic routes	Arbobesluit art. 7.17c(4) and art. 3.14(4)
Other employees kept out of the work zone; if they must be there, measures against injury	Arbobesluit art. 7.17c(5) and (6)
Information, instruction and supervision of compliance	Arbowet art. 8

Camera detection on a forklift: what is it and is it mandatory?

Camera detection, also called person detection, is a system of cameras or sensors on the forklift that recognises people around the machine and warns the operator; some systems also brake the forklift automatically. The law does not prescribe a particular system, but it does require effective aids that give the operator adequate visibility where their direct field of vision is not sufficient to ensure people's safety (Arbobesluit article 7.17b(2)(e)).

From 2020 to 2025 the Labour Authority investigated 309 workplace accidents caused by a collision with a forklift; ten victims died. In most cases the operator and the victim did not notice each other in time. This was not only due to obstructed views from loads, pallets or racking: inattentional blindness probably plays a part too. A person then does not consciously register a dangerous situation even though it is in their field of vision.

Source: Netherlands Labour Authority, Monitor Arbeidsongevallen 2025, part II (September 2026). Forklifts here also include pallet trucks, reach trucks and similar internal transport machines. For the contributing factors, cases where this was unknown are not counted.
Finding in 309 investigated collisions	Share
The forklift was reversing	51%
The victim was doing work unrelated to the forklift	84%
The operator did not see the victim, or not in time, for unknown reasons	72%
The victim did not see or hear the forklift	65%
Markings, signs or barriers were missing on the route	60%
The forklift had a technical defect	3%

According to the Labour Authority, organisational measures alone are therefore probably not always enough: inattentional blindness also occurs with experienced employees, working signals and existing instructions. Technical measures such as collision detection and automatic braking systems can help where people do not notice each other in time, and Arboportaal, the Dutch government's occupational safety portal, also lists cameras and sensors against blind spots as a measure against collision risk. Such systems do not replace separated routes and traffic rules, which the Arbobesluit requires separately. Explain to your staff what the system does: the Arbowet requires you to inform employees about the purpose and operation of safety devices on work equipment (article 8(3)).

Include the choice of vision and detection aids in your risk assessment for hired forklifts. Other aids are covered under Blue Spot and Red Zone and speed limiting and OPSS.

Can you use a diesel forklift indoors?

Only if there is sufficient clean air (Arbobesluit article 7.17c(7)), and only after you have checked whether another drive type is possible. Diesel engine exhaust is carcinogenic: according to the Labour Authority you are obliged to replace the diesel engine as soon as that is technically feasible.

Breathing in diesel engine exhaust increases the risk of lung and bladder cancer. Since 1 July 2020 the Dutch legal limit has been 10 micrograms per cubic metre, measured as respirable elemental carbon. According to the Labour Authority there is no safe level, so even below that value you reduce exposure wherever technically possible. If replacement is not feasible, you substantiate this in your risk assessment (RI&E) and first take technical measures, such as a machine that meets the latest Stage emission standard or a particulate filter. Only if technical measures are not possible do organisational measures follow, such as parking and starting the forklift outdoors and adjusting routes. Employees who are exposed are recorded in a register.

An LPG forklift also has a combustion engine, so the clean-air requirement applies to it as well. The Labour Authority does, however, name an LPG forklift as an example of a healthier alternative to diesel. We rent out electric forklifts from 1.5 to 18 tonnes and LPG forklifts from 1.5 to 5 tonnes.

Examples for indoor work. Width and turning radius according to the Hyundai datasheet; daily rate excl. VAT.
Machine	Lifting capacity	Drive type	Width	Turning radius	Daily rate from
Electric forklift 1.8 ton (ideal for narrow spaces)	1,800 kg	Electric	1,105 mm	1,630 mm	€85
Electric forklift 2.5 tonnes	2,500 kg	Electric	1,215 mm	2,135 mm	€85
LPG forklift 2.5 tonnes	2,500 kg	LPG	1,200 mm	2,352 mm	€75

Technical data: VDI 2198 data sheets from Hyundai Material Handling (standard version). Daily rate excl. VAT; the current price is shown on the machine's page.

Marking forklift lanes: what is mandatory?

The Arbobesluit requires safely laid-out traffic routes with traffic rules where forklifts operate, a safe space for pedestrians and clearly marked-out routes where the use or layout of the workplace calls for it (article 3.14). Dangerous places and obstacles that cannot be removed are marked with safety signs (article 3.15).

Forklift routes are at a sufficient distance from other traffic routes, and their width suits the number of users and the type of work (article 3.14(3) and (6)). Arboportaal lists measures against collision risk including:

minimum widths for traffic routes, so there is enough distance between pedestrians and forklifts
marking of driving routes, loading and unloading areas and parking zones
CE-marked high-visibility clothing in accordance with NEN-EN-ISO 20471
a traffic plan, which is mandatory for organisations where collision risk is an occupational hazard, such as companies with a warehouse

Does a forklift need a number plate?

Only on the public road, and not even there if the forklift, including attachments, is no wider than 1.30 metres and no trailer is coupled to it (Dutch Vehicle Registration Regulations, Kentekenreglement, article 1b).

Insurance, driving licence and the rules for older forklifts are covered in may a forklift use the public road?

Summarised from Dutch legislation and government information, as of October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.

Sources: Working Conditions Decree (Arbobesluit), article 7.17c (use of mobile work equipment) · Working Conditions Decree (Arbobesluit), article 7.17b (equipment of self-propelled mobile work equipment) · Working Conditions Decree (Arbobesluit), article 7.11a (information) · Working Conditions Decree (Arbobesluit), article 3.14 (traffic routes) · Working Conditions Decree (Arbobesluit), article 3.15 (marking of dangerous places) · Working Conditions Act (Arbowet), article 8 (information and instruction) · Netherlands Labour Authority: Arbo in bedrijf 2024-2025 (pdf, Dutch) · Arboportaal: Use of work equipment (Dutch) · Arboportaal: What does the law say about collision risk? (Dutch) · Netherlands Labour Authority: 309 workplace accidents caused by forklift collisions in the past 6 years (9 September 2026, Dutch) · Netherlands Labour Authority: Monitor Arbeidsongevallen 2025, part II Forklift collisions (pdf, Dutch) · Netherlands Labour Authority: Diesel engine exhaust (DME, Dutch) · Netherlands Labour Authority: Frequently asked questions on DME (Dutch) · Arboportaal: What does the law say about diesel engine exhaust? (Dutch) · Vehicle Registration Regulations (Kentekenreglement), article 1b (exemption from number plate requirement) · RDW: Registering or importing a mobile machine (Dutch)