A telehandler looks like a truck with a long arm, but it has its own certificate under the same executive order as the forklift. Here are the rules machine by machine: forks and a personnel platform require a certificate, bucket and grab do not, crane work over 8 tonne-metres requires more — and the 1.5 m rule for the boom extension.
Introduction
A telehandler looks like a truck with a long arm. It is used on building sites, in agriculture and in warehouses. It has its own certificate, »Telehandler«, under the same executive order as the forklift (BEK no. 1978 of 27/10/2021 § 8). A forklift certificate does not cover it.
What is a telehandler?
The executive order describes telehandlers and similar multi-purpose machines as self-propelled machines with a telescopic boom for interchangeable equipment. The boom extends and retracts in a straight line, and it can be raised, lowered and possibly slewed (turned). Container handlers with fixed equipment for containers in terminal areas are also included (§ 8, subsections 2-3).
Does my task require a certificate?
The Danish Working Environment Authority has made an overview machine by machine. For telehandlers it looks like this:
| Telehandler with … | Certificate |
|---|---|
| Forks | »Telehandler« — but not if the boom extension is at most 1.5 m |
| Personnel platform | »Telehandler« — but not if the boom extension is at most 1.5 m |
| Bale spike, bucket, grab etc. | No certificate |
| Crane work, under 8 tonne-metres | »Telehandler« |
| Crane work, over 8 tonne-metres | »Telehandler« + either »Crane Basics« or »Telehandler over 8 tonne-metres« |
| Container handler (reach stacker) | »Telehandler« |
For crane work and container handlers with a boom extension of at most 1.5 m, the certificate requirements for mobile cranes apply instead.
The 1.5 m rule
No certificate is required for the telehandler if the maximum boom extension is 1.5 m, or if the extension is locked to at most 1.5 m with a key switch or similar (§ 8, subsection 4). Compare with the forklift truck: there the limit is a lifting height locked to at most 1 m (§ 7, subsection 5).
Members only
The rest of the article is locked
Create a free user account to unlock all articles, calculators, templates and range — and get access to quizzes and classes. It takes less than a minute: name, email and a password. No payment card.
Want to try something first? See what you can use without an account — the junior zone, the encyclopedia, the videos and more.