In this Fall 2006 IVES Update Newsletter edition we’ll cover an interview with the founder of the company, Colin Ives to celebrate our 25th year in business. We will also cover a question on telehandlers and minimum approach distances, some accident reports and much more.
An Interview with the Founder
It’s hard to believe that 25 years have passed since IVES began doing business in 1981. Much has changed in the heavy equipment training industry over the last quarter century with regulations, industry standards and, most notably, people’s attitudes with respect to training and safety in general.
People often ask me how, in these days of strict regulation, endless litigation and fierce competition, IVES has managed to establish and maintain its stellar reputation. My answer to that question usually comes down to two words: Colin Ives (the founder of the company). The man whose vision, integrity, knowledge and, of course, blood sweat and tears, established the company and allowed it to flourish.
I am thrilled to be joined by Colin in this 25th anniversary edition of the IVES Update and to have a chance to talk to the man whose name is our company.
RV – So Colin, how is retirement treating you?
CI – How is “retirement” treating me? Personally, it’s the pits! Two days after retirement, a young lady in a grocery store asked me if I would like her to carry my groceries to the car, and she called me “sir”! So I sucked in my stomach, stood real tall, and carried all the bags to the car myself. Halfway there, I realized that I should have taken her up on her offer.
RV – Do you miss it at all?
CI – Yes, I really do. But don’t forget, I was in the training business for over 29 years. What I don’t miss are the red-eye flights, the crummy motels, the questionable food, delayed flights, hotel bookings that mysteriously disappeared and, of course, being away from home so much.
RV – What led you to believe there was a need for the company you created 25 years ago?
CI – I used to read the accident reports from various sources across the U.S. and Canada. It was obvious to me that most of the accidents were due to operator error and were, quite simply, due to a lack of understanding of how the equipment worked. At that time there were a few small courses available from some of the manufacturers; however, their main objective was to sell equipment, and they used sales people, not qualified instructors, to conduct the courses they offered.
RV – What were the biggest obstacles in your way when you got started?
CI – When I started there were no specific regulations regarding what a good training program should contain. Therefore, some “fly-by-night ers” would offer training programs that would last one to two hours. So when we turned up with our four- to five-day Instructor Certification Program, and our eight-hour Operator Course, a lot of corporations (would-be customers) balked at our time frames. However, once we were able to convince them to try it…well, our record speaks for itself. I believe most, if not all, of our early customers are still valued customers to this day. Why? Because our program and training system works. It just plain works.
RV – Was there ever a time when you thought, what on earth have I gotten into here?
CI – Funnily enough, I remember the exact moment that I thought I was in over my head. It was a Monday morning and I was in the bathroom shaving. It was my habit to take my appointment book with me and review my weeks ahead whilst shaving. You could call me a workaholic, I guess. Anyway, that day I started to count up the days that I was booked out for. Then it hit me…I was booked out for the next 271 consecutive days! That is the exact moment that I realized that I needed help. The very next month I hired Brenda Sheen and Ron Elliott.
RV – You’ve motivated so many people throughout your career. Who, or what, motivates you?
CI – This may sound a little corny, but it’s true… walking out of a class on the last day knowing that I’ve done my very best. It’s a great feeling; there is no other feeling like it. And after the first one, I just needed to do it again, and again.
RV – What would you consider as the highlight of your career?
CI – It is not one highlight, or one moment…it’s the people I met during my 20-plus years at IVES. I was fortunate to encounter students from all over the U.S. and Canada. Some of them became friends, and have stayed in contact over the years. I believe every one of them learned from me and I, in turn, learned from them. It was definitely the people that were the highlight of my career.
RV – How about a low point?
CI – I only have one real low point. Back in 1992, I was conducting an Instructor Certification Program in San Diego, CA. We had a gentleman on the course from an envelope manufacturing company, and he, along with all the other students, was given a homework assignment to write and present a short speech. The next morning we received a phone call telling us that he had suffered a heart attack and had died while preparing his speech.
RV – How much of your success do you attribute to the people who were around you?
CI – Probably no more than 110%. I was blessed with great people, who believed in our training program as much as I did. We had a great product, but great products don’t go anywhere without the right people. My hat is off to the people I had the pleasure of working with at Ives: Brenda, Susan, Kim, Carol, Ron, Grant, Don, Sam, Terry, Rob and Ted. They are the reason for IVES’ success. As any successful company will tell you, it’s all about the people, and we have the BEST!
RV – What does the future hold for Colin Ives?
CI – I am still under contract to IVES in an advisory capacity for the next few years. Plus, I am a mentor to three other small businesses in my home town. And I am serving on the Board of Directors of the local Safety Council. In addition, I’m a Teamster, and not the type that you are thinking of either! I own a team of draught horses, Shires to be exact. I am busy trying to be the best team driver I can be. For those of you who don’t know what a Shire is, a Shire is an ancient breed of work horse; they are normally black with four white, feathery feet. They are the largest breed of horse in the world—yes, even larger than a Clydesdale! Each one weighs in at about 2,100 pounds, and they are as soft as butter. You can tell that I enjoy them very much.
RV – If you could do it again, would you change anything?
CI – Well, first I would be born “King.” No, seriously, I believe that if anyone was blessed with the opportunity to start again, most people would make changes in product, business procedures, and personal habits, and I am no exception. The first thing I would change is that I would not wait until I was 60 to become smart. I would listen to others more, a lot more. And I hope I would develop much earlier in my career a sense of balance between my personal life and my work. After I turned 60, I realized that Superman’s job was already taken.
RV – If you could pass along one thought or piece of advice to the thousands of lives you have touched, what would it be?
CI – Just one thing: “You are what you repeat.”
Ask Bob
Bob,
My guys use zoom booms (telehandlers) around power lines on construction sites all the time. Are there any rules about this kind of thing?
Alan
Dear Alan,
Most regulatory agencies refer to what is known as a minimum approach distance (MAD), which is the closest you are allowed to get to an energized line, depending on its voltage. The safest and most common one I have seen comes from ANSI and stipulates a MAD of 10 feet (3 m) from power lines with voltages up to 50 kV (50,000 volts). For every 10 kV of voltage above 50, add 4 inches (10 cm) of MAD. Check your local regulations though—they may be different.
Hey Bob,
Why is so much training required on forklifts but not aerial lifts? Aren’t aerials even more dangerous?
JR
Dear JR,
Actually, there are a lot of training requirements for aerial lifts—they are just not as visible as the forklift operator training requirements in the applicable regulations. Look at training and retraining requirements detailed in the applicable ANSI/SIA A92 standards, which are referenced by regulation, and I think you will see that there is just as much, if not more, involved in training aerial lift operators as there is with forklift operators.
What’s Your Instructor IQ?
Test your knowledge by answering the following:
- The only time you should stop a practical evaluation before it would normally end is:
a) As soon as the trainee demonstrates further training is required.
b) If the trainee is doing a lot of tasks incorrectly.
c) If it becomes hazardous to continue.
d) As soon as the trainee demonstrates proper operation.
- An important step to take when reviewing individual theory and/or practical test results with a trainee is to:
a) Ensure that the trainee understands where he/she was mistaken.
b) Conduct the review with the trainee privately.
c) Ensure that criticism is tactful and constructive.
d) Make sure the trainee knows what to do to pass when re-tested.
Check out the next edition of the Ives Update for the answers. Good luck!
Answers to “What’s Your Instructor IQ?” (Summer Edition 2006)
- The greatest asset you have in performing your instructional duties is:
a) Equipment knowledge.
b) Ability to communicate.
c) Lesson plan.
All the knowledge and planning in the world will not compensate for an inability to communicate.
- Lifting and/or hoisting equipment utilize ____________ to multiply the force applied to move a load.
a) Pressure.
b) Counterweight.
c) Leverage.
Leverage increases the load moment : the force applied by the load over the distance of the lever. The longer the lever, the greater the force.
WIN a Trip for Four to Disneyland!
Entries in the trip to Disneyland draw announced in the summer edition are piling in—make sure you get in, too! When you register for any Train-the-trainer Program or any Instructor Re-certification Program, or when you call to order materials, have your e-mail address handy. We simply opt you in to our new e-mail update program, which will provide you with the IVES Update by e-mail, and you will be entered to WIN! The prize includes airfare, three nights in the fabulous Disneyland Hotel, and three full days of fun in the Magical Kingdom! Call IVES today to get your entry in! Contest draw date is November 17, 2006.
Accident Reports
Fall From Order Picker Kills Worker
A woman working alone moving materials with a forklift fell 17 feet at work and later died, police said Wednesday. The police chief said the victim, 44, was found by a co-worker and was taken to the hospital where she died early the next morning. Officials said she had worked for about three years at the company, a food service and equipment supplier. Details of how the accident happened were under investigation and specifics were not immediately released. An autopsy showed she died from blunt-force trauma, according to a spokesman for the County medical examiner’s office. In brief remarks after the tragedy, her husband described her as “an awfully good woman,” but declined to comment further. Chief deputy of the County Sheriff’s Department said the agency is offering its support and condolences to the family.
[Remember that an order picker is considered an aerial lift as well as a Class 2 forklift, and that a personal fall protection system is required at all times. – Ed.]
Canadian Company And Supervisor Fined
A Mississauga, Ontario company that rents cranes and other industrial aerial lifting equipment was fined $125,000 and a supervisor was fined $10,000 for safety violations that resulted in the death of a new employee. A trailer truck driver received serious head injuries when attempting to load an (aerial boomlift) onto a trailer. It was the driver’s sixth day on the job. At the time of the incident, the driver was in the bucket operating the controls when it started to accelerate backwards off the trailer. The driver was not wearing a safety harness and was thrown out of the bucket as the unit rolled off the trailer’s edge and tilted to one side. The driver’s head struck a tanker truck parked alongside the trailer. Taken by ambulance to a hospital in Toronto, the driver died 10 days later. A Ministry of Labour investigation determined the driver had no training or experience in operating the boomlift prior to being employed by the company. The company and a supervisor pleaded guilty for failing to ensure the driver was competent to operate the equipment as required by regulations. In addition to the fines, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
[Once again, the human cost of not training far outweighs the financial cost of training. – Ed.]
Team Member Profile – Gord Kennedy
Gord joined the IVES team in May 2000, bringing years of experience in sales and marketing and as an independent business owner to the table. As is the case with many IVES team members, Gord’s talents and abilities are extensive, and over the years he has made significant contributions to several departments within the organization. Currently, Gord is the Account Manager for the Custom Training Department, where his background has allowed him to excel in the challenges of negotiating contracts and coordinating all of the custom on-site programs for our clients.
Perhaps one of Gord’s greatest strengths is his interpersonal skills. Always cool and professional, he enjoys communicating with our clients and prospective clients all over North America and helping them find the best solutions to provide a safer, more efficient workplace. “Working with Gord is a real pleasure for me,” says IVES Technical Director Rob Vetter. “He’s a real class act and a living example of grace under pressure. He never gets knocked off his game and has a very wry sense of humor that always makes me laugh.”
Outside the office, Gord enjoys playing golf, traveling and doing home improvement projects around home with his wife Margaret. We look forward to many more years with you “improving” things at IVES too, Gord! Thanks for all you have done.
Washington State Forklift Champ Named
The top five finishers from each of three (Washington) state regional forklift driver competitions met in Spokane, WA on September 27 to go head to head for bragging rights as State Champion and $900.00 in purse money, with $500.00 going to the first place finisher.
For the past nine years, the state forklift rodeos have been organized by GISHAB, the (Washington) Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Advisory Board, with the State Final being showcased within the Washington Governor’s Health and Safety Conference. This year’s conference was the 55th such event. In the end, it was Doug Graham of The Boeing Company taking the top individual honor, and Tim Eacrett, Mike Weinman and Doug Graham of The Boeing Company named as top team.
IVES congratulates the winners on their championship performances and salutes all of the competitors at this and the state regionals as champions of safety. See you all next year!
BC Forklift Rally – Late But Worth the Wait
The Canadian Materials Handling & Distributors’ Society (CMH&DS) has announced that the 10th Annual BC forklift Rally Championship Event will take place in the spring of 2007. Society President Dan Beer said that the 2007 rally will be held at the Cloverdale Agriplex in conjunction with the Surrey School Board’s Student Vocational Careers Trade Show tentatively scheduled for next May.
Over the years, the greatest challenge in producing this event has been finding an adequate and reliable site to hold it at. The union of the CMH&DS and Surrey School Board as sort of “co-producers” of the event could mark the end of those frustrations and the beginning of a mutually beneficial partnership that will include a stable and outstanding home for the forklift rally. Keep your eye on future editions of the IVES Update for further developments.
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