In this Winter 2001 IVES Update Newsletter edition we’ll tell you about training our 250,000th operator, OSHA’s view on training, accident reports, our TrainTrak Operator Reminder System, Frequently Asked Questions, site inspections, evaluation forms, and much more.
250,000th Operator Trained
April 2000 – Congratulations to Kathy Yarbery of E&J Gallo Winery for being the 250,000th operator trained through the Ives Certified Operator program. Kathy was trained as a Clamp Lift Operator by Joe Koons, Process Leader and Certified Instructor of E&J Gallo.
And a thank you to all of the 8,000 Ives Certified Instructors across North America who have trained dozens and hundreds of operators, thus contributing to this total of more than a quarter of a million operators trained!
OSHA’s View on Training
According to a recent case (which shall go unnamed), simply providing training is NOT enough. That training must be thorough and comprehensive. Failure to provide adequate training can result in penalization.
For example, you can warn and operator of a potential danger, but unless you give the operator specific guidelines and procedures to follow to avoid that danger, your training would be considered inadequate.
Int his particular case, the employer also conducted monthly safety meetings, warned operators of industry accidents, and showed employee training videos. However, OSHA discounted these training exercises as failing to provide any specific instructions related to specific job hazards.
OSHA was equally unimpressed by the employer’s “evidence” that it supplied employees with the company’s safety manuals, the manufacturer’s operating instructions, and the manufacturer’s safety manual, requiring that their employes affirm in writing that they have read and understood these various materials. OSHA discounted this “evidence” based on the fact that 4 out of 10 employees stated that they were unaware of the safety requirements.
Furthermore, OSHA specifically noted that “the sufficiency of an employer’s training is not measured by the employees’ subjective assessment of the adequacy of the training provided.” In other words, even if your operator feels he has been adequately trained, he is not necessarily adequately trained in OSHA’s view.
This case seems to demonstrate that OSHA’s view is that if there were an accident, then the employees were improperly trained.
To protect yourself from accidents and resulting litigation, review the specific hazards of your workplace. Are there any procedures that you can develop to prevent accidents in these specific situations?
Also this is added incentive to have your operators complete a test. Simply having your operator sign a document saying he/she has understood is not adequate. A written test “proved” that your operator has understood.
Accident Reports
$40 million accident
An untrained lift truck operator ran into an overhead electric power line while lifting trusses at an apartment construction project. The power line contact set off a fire, reported to be one of the worst in Tampa’s history, with damage estimated at $40 million. The fire destroyed the Ybor city apartment complex and leveled a US post office. OSHA is investigating the incident.
$500,000 Fines from Careless Accident
Three companies have been fined more than $500,000 for safety violations involving the fatal collapse of a giant crane at a Milwaukee partially-completed ballpark. Three iron workers were killed after the crane, lifting a 400-ton section of the retractable roof, fell on them.
The contractor building the roof was find $240,500. The employer of the iron-workers was fined $168,000. And the company that leased the 567-foot crane was fiend $131,300.
In its citation, OSHA said a section of the roof was loaded beyond the crane’s capacity, the companies failed to keep employees clear of the 400-ton block, and allowed workers to be hoisted in excessively windy conditions (exceeding the manufacturer’s recommendations).
Instructor Dies in Forklift Lesson
A man learning to drive a forklift truck ran over and killed his instructor during his first lesson. The 34 year old from Berlin was in a group of 16 men being trained when he drove towards the 66 year old instructor and crushed him against the wall. The instructor was pronounced dead at the scene.
Forklift Starts Fire, Causing Severe Injuries
Two men sustained second and third degree burns when a forklift caught fire. The fire ignited after the forklift quit working and was refueled. A worker was unloading pallets of fertilizer when the incident occurred.
The worker attempted to restart the unit with a battery charger while it was inside the trailer. According to the county public safety director, the worker climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine, igniting a gasoline fumes that had accumulated inside the trailer. The first shattered a window and burned part of the trailer before workers rolled it away from the building an unloaded the forklift.
“It was a very hot flash fire… like a big ball of file,” said the director.
The worker was in critical condition and transported via helicopter to a burn center. He received skin-graft surgery for the burns that covered 60 percent of his body.
The farm-supply owner helped extinguish the fire and sustained burns on his hands. He was transported to a hospital where he was listed in stable condition.
The owner said the fertilizer counted’ have caused an explosion if it has caught fire. “The building would have burned more violently than the fertilizer,” the director said.
Crane Rigger Electrocuted
A rigger was electrocuted when a crane touched overhead electrical wires at a construction site. The crane was being used to install underground drainage pipe when the accident occurred.
According to a police investigation, the man was guiding the pipe by a chain while standing in ad itch filled with water. The crane operator moved the crane’s boom and it came in contact with the overhead power lines.
[Accident reports taken from Lift Equipment Magazine, Crane Works, Compliance Magazine, and other industry magazines]
Would you like a reminder of when your operators need to be re-certified?
Free Service – The law requires that your operators to be re-certified. However, keeping track of the status of all the operators you train (or will be training) can become a daunting task. To help make your job easier, we at Ives have implemented a free service called TrainTrak, an Operator Recertification Reminder Service.
Just send us the names of your operators, their test dates, and the equipment they were trained on. We’ll input that information into our database and send you a Reminder Note about 3 months in advance of the deadline date. You can submit this information on the TrainTrak forms that were sent to you in the last newsletter, or which may be found in your Instructor Manual, or simply use your letterhead.
OSHA’s Plan for Site Inspections
OSHA conducted a survey of 80,000 companies. Of those organizations, 13,000 received letters from OSHA Administrator Charles Jeffress putting them on notice that their injury and illness rates were above the national average. The national average is 3 in 100 workers; the letter was sent to those companies with instances exceeding 8% of workers.
For this year, OSHA is targeting 4,200 establishments for inspection (which is nearly double last year’s inspection rate). It is important to note that this number of inspections only account for federal OSHA’s activities. The 23 states and two territories that operate their own OSHA-approved programs will be implementing their own inspection plan in addition to federal OSHA’s plan.
OSHA’s plan for inspections continues to target organizations with high incident rates, followed by organizations in industries with high incident rates, followed by spot inspections.
Frequently Asked Questions
If an operator has been trained on one type of truck, can he drive another type?
No. The law requires that your operators are certified on each classification of truck that they will be using. In other words, if you train and certify your operator on a sit-down counterbalanced lift truck (class 1, 4 & 5) you cannot allow him to drive a narrow aisle lift truck (class 2) until he/she has been trained and certified on that piece of equipment. These two pieces of equipment are significantly different and do require separate Operator Workbooks and Tests.
Likewise, you cannot allow an operator who has been trained on a Class 1 sit-down lift truck (electric motor) to operate a Class 4 sit-down counterbalanced lift truck (internal combustion engine) until he.she has been trained on those differences. The good news is, however, that your Ives Counterbalanced Lift Truck Operator Workbook covers Class 1, 4 & 5. This means that the theoretical portion of this additional training is already covered. However, you should ensure that the practical training also addresses the specific truck(s) the orator will use.
What about Certificates and Licenses?
You don’t need to issue a separate license for each classification of lift truck; however, you do need to list all the types of lift trucks or mobile equipment and attachments. List all the equipment on the card, if you don’t have enough room, write a note “Refer to Operator’s File.” Also list all the equipment in the operator’s file, with the test dates and passing grades. Also keep an original copy of the tests and practical evaluations as this will prove invaluable in case of litigation or investigation.
Using the Lift Truck Evaluation From
To help make the task of conducting practical evaluations easier, Ives has simplified their Practical Evaluation Form (which was a legal sized sheet on a goldenrod colored paper). It is now a letter sized sheet of paper. The new form is much more general in nature and requires more input from the instructor regarding equipment-and site-specific conditions or procedures.
When conducting a practical evaluation with the new form, have your operator move at least 7 loads. If the operator does not show competency in any area, mark an (x) in the right column of the form and if they do it correctly make a check mark under “competency demonstrated”. As your operator completes each maneuver, count them by marking a mark on the line titled “Load Count” at the left side of the form. In the “Basic Operating Procedures” section make a slash to the immediate right of the item for each error. This will help you to keep track of how many times an error was made. When the evaluation is complete count the slash marks beside each item in this section. We recommend that if there are 3 marks or more the operator has not demonstrated competency and you should mark an x in the right column. If you make an x mark for any of the times in Basic Operating Procedures or Specific Topics Ives suggests you do not pass the operator. We also suggest an overall passing grade of 80%. Determine if the operator has passed by counting the number of correct items (check marks) in the column.
then count up all the items being evaluated, let’s say 32, as that is how many items there are without adding any truck specific topics. The operator has 29 correct out of 32 items. Then figure out the percentage: 29 / 32 = .90625 then multiply by 100 = 90.625. Then all you have to do is round up or down. Int his case the operator would pass with 91%.
We understand that the form may look completely different from what you are used to because it is more general, but it really is much easier to use , and it still meets all regulatory requirements.
If you have any further concerns about this form, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
OSHA’s position on web, CD Rom and video training
In three letters from OSHA, chief Charles Jeffress explains OSHA’s position on training. Here are the main points:
- OSHA encourages the use of hands-on training, even in refresher courses.
- Hands-on training typically involves trainees interacting with equipment and tools in the presence of qualified trainers.
- Employers must give trainees the chance to ask questions and receive answers from qualified trainers.
- OSHA cautions “the use of computer-based training by itself would not be sufficient to meet the intent of most of OSHA’s training requirements… OSHA urges employers to be wary of relying solely on these types of programs.”
The Faces of Ives: Our Office Team
We’ve been through a number of changes over the years. It’s time to update you on the Who’s Who at Ives.
Training Division
Brenda Sheen
Director, Training Division
Brenda is the person you need to contact to discuss training programs, scheduling, and general (non-technical) help on implementing your operator training program. Brenda is in charge of our team of instructors.
Tamara Garland
Coordinator, Training Division
Tamara is in charge of processing your instructor certification, is thoroughly familiar with all of our programs and content, and, like Brenda, she can probably answer most of your non-technical questions.
General Management
Rob Vetter
Managing Director
Rob is one of our notable instructors. He has recently taken on the added responsibility of directing the ongoing development and improvement of our operation. In coordination with Brenda and Marlene, he hopes to make 2001 a great year for Ives. He is also in charge of hiring new Ives Staff Instructors.
Marlene Mills
Director of Finance
Our number cruncher extraordinaire, Marlene is in charge of all the accounts payable and receivables.
Publications Division
Kim Buller
Supervisor, Publications Division
Kim is in charge of all training aids that we provide. If you have a special request regarding our operator training materials or even have some ideas about products or training materials you’d like Ives to provide, please don’t hesitate to call her.
Susan Carlson
Coordinator, Publications Division
Susan handles most of your orders for training materials. If you need to place an order or have questions she can help. Her time is nearly fully devoted to making sure that your orders are processed in a timely manner.
Ken Buller
Facilities & Warehouse Supervisor
Kent’s main focus is supervising day to day operations at Ives. He assembles, ships, receives, couriers and makes sure our facilities are kept in tip top shape. But he also happens to be well versed in internet e-commerce and has created an online order form to make it even easier to order training materials. Check it out at www.ivestraining.com
We hope that these brief introductions will help you know who to ask for when you call. Note that if you call to speak to instructor they are out training most of the time. If your question if technical in nature, you’ll have to leave a message in an instructor’s voice mail. They will return your call when feasible.
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