Training Courses For Mechanical Handling Equipment
Our Training Courses include:
- Forklift Training
- MEWPS Training
- Slinger & Signaller Training
- Manual Handling Training
- Overhead Crane Training
- Abrasive Wheel training
- Other Accredited Training
Qualified and experienced instructors run our training courses. They follow a course syllabus that is approved by ITSSAR, and every individual is trained to their approved standards. You can be sure that any training we carry out is of the highest standard and complies with all HSE recommendations and Guidance.
Why You Need To Provide Training?
It is estimated that each year 10% of all investigated accidents involving lift trucks are caused largely by the lack of operator training, resulting in injury to operators and to those around them (Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures). As an employer, you have an obligation to ensure that all operators who use work equipment are trained to approved standards, and that their supervisors are also adequately trained.
Employers should not allow anyone to operate mechanical handling equipment, even on a very casual basis, if they have not satisfactorily completed basic training and testing. Training, followed by regular monitoring of performance of your operators, is by far the best way to promote safer use of mechanical handling equipment, and as you now know, the omission to train your personnel could be a very real and costly mistake for you to make. Implementing an effective on-going training programme is therefore not only desirable, it is a legal necessity, and is the first step in reducing damage and injury to key personnel.
The following quote is taken directly from the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations. Regulation 9:
“Every employer shall ensure that all persons who use work equipment have received adequate training for purposes of health and safety, including training in the methods which may be adopted when using the work equipment, any risks which such use may entail and precautions to be taken.”
“Every employer shall ensure that any of his employees who supervises or manages the use of work equipment has received adequate training for purposes of health and safety, including training in the methods which may be adopted when using the work equipment, any risk which such use may entail and precautions to be taken.”
For more information, see the Health and Safety Executive website: www.hse.gov.uk
What Could Happen If You Do Nothing?
In any industry, there is always risk. Work related accidents can happen even in the most safety conscious of companies. These accidents, some fatal, cause suffering for the people involved and also for their dependants. They also create a heavy cost on the employer's business - even an incident not involving injury may result in costly damage to trucks, buildings, fittings and to the loads being handled.
Failure to train your operators could be considered to be:
- A breach of PUWER 1998 (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations)
or
- A breach of LOLER 1998 (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations)
There is the very real possibility that if there is an accident, and the Health and Safety Executive bring a prosecution to court, your company could be found to be negligent in discharging its duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act. This could mean that:
- Your company insurance could be invalidated
- Ultimately the directors could be found to be personally liable and incur unlimited fines
- The potential for adverse publicity, should a company be convicted
- The subsequent loss of goodwill and business should be deterrent enough to ensure that good standards of health and safety training are maintained
Why Employers Should Not Allow Anyone To Operate Mechanical Handling Equipment
No employee should be allowed to operate mechanical handling equipment, not even on a casual basis unless they have:
- Satisfactorily completed basic training and testing
- Received Job Specific Training
- Meets the medical requirements under HSG6
- Been regularly checked by a trained instructor
The best way to promote safer use of mechanical handling equipment is to implement an effective on-going training programme. This is a legal requirement and is the first step in reducing damage and injury to personnel or property.
We must never underestimate the power of the operator or the machine, operators must get trained, operators must be trained the right way and operators must always be safe.