Test themes
Safety and prevention: what every operator should know
The quiz draws on the R489 general knowledge theme: responsibilities, prevention bodies, categories and CACES rules.
Independent site, not linked to the French Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie), the INRS, testing bodies or training centres.
Your score · R489 · forklifts
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Questions written by Radif Partners from the French Health Insurance recommendations. This is not the official test, which is sat at a certified testing body and is in French. Your answers stay in this browser.
The first theme of every theory test covers who is responsible for what. In R489 it is worth 15 points out of 100, with a minimum of 8, of which 7 cover the driver’s own role: the duty to raise the alarm, the right to withdraw from a dangerous situation (droit de retrait), the obligation never to disable a safety device. The French Labour Code makes the employer responsible for operator training (article R4323-55) and for a written operating authorisation (article R4323-56). Since 1 October 2025, the training framework has been set by the order of 26 September 2025, which replaced the 1998 text. Medical fitness is certified by the occupational health service for 5 years. General knowledge carries 14 points in R486, 12 in R482 and 14 in R490. This short theme is easy to lose: a few mistakes are enough to drop below half.
How many points per theme in the R486 test?
Points in the test
54 / 100
| Minimum to score | 27 points |
| Syllabus points | 21 |
| Heaviest | Safety signs and pictograms (4) |
Questions, explanations and calculations by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Who does what in prevention
| Party | Role for the machine operator |
|---|---|
| Employer | Supplies a compliant, inspected machine, trains, issues the operating authorisation, organises the work |
| Manufacturer | Delivers a compliant machine and instructions in French |
| Operator | Looks after their own safety and others’, reports defects, raises the alarm, may withdraw |
| Occupational doctor | Checks there is no medical reason against operating |
| Labour inspectorate | Enforces the Labour Code, may issue an official report |
| Carsat, Cramif, CGSS | Prevention advice and inspection, regional follow-up of the CACES scheme |
| INRS | Research, guides and technical tools on health and safety |
| CSE (staff committee) | Represents employees, may be consulted on working conditions |
A typical question asks who issues a given document: the operating authorisation comes from the employer, the medical certificate from the occupational doctor, the CACES from the certified testing body. Another asks what the operator does about a defect: never put up with it, report it, and do not use the machine if it affects safety.
Weight of the theme by machine
| Recommendation | General knowledge | Minimum | Of which prevention bodies |
|---|---|---|---|
| R489 | 15 | 8 | 1 |
| R482 | 12 | 6 | 2 |
| R486 | 14 | 7 | 2 |
| R490 | 14 | 7 | 2 |
| R485 | 15 | 8 | 1 |
Two dated conditions weigh on the authorisation the employer signs: a CACES still in force and a medical certificate less than 5 years old. The next mini tool checks both for the recommendation you pick.
Can my employer authorise me to operate?
Authorisation
Not as things stand
| CACES | valid (5 years) |
| Medical certificate | expired: occupational health visit |
| Issued by | the employer, in writing |
Why accidents happen
Analyses of machine accidents often find the same chains of events, which the operation theme examines in detail: an untrained or unauthorised driver “helping out”, a known defect left unreported, speed too high for an area with no visibility, capacity exceeded because the plate was not read, pedestrians and machines sharing the same aisle. Most are about organisation as much as driving. The site traffic page covers movement rules, and the checks and end of shift page covers the checks that stop you setting off with a faulty machine.
Substances, phones and tiredness
Every recommendation gives points to alcohol, drugs and medicines, and others to distractions such as phones or music. The rule is simple: never operate under the influence of anything that dulls alertness, and tell the occupational doctor about any medicine whose box carries a driving warning pictogram. Calls and messages wait until the machine is parked.
Reference texts
Articles R4323-55 and R4323-56 of the Labour Code set out training and the operating authorisation. The order of 26 September 2025 governs training for mobile and lifting equipment. The R489, R486 and R482 recommendations describe the test and its marking. Keep in mind the French terms the test uses: employeur, conducteur, droit de retrait, autorisation de conduite.