OSHA requires you to be certified to operate a telehandler. Telehandler certification does not cover forklifts or boom lifts. Different states have different training guidelines. But, in general, anyone interested in using a telehandler — from construction worker to private citizen — must be certified. To become certified, formal instruction is given online by OSHA or through third-party trainers. After this, a written test and active skills test must be passed before a final evaluation. Those that pass are certified. Certification lasts for three years, at which point a person must take a refresher course.