Thanks for taking the time to read our newsletter! In this edition we’ll be covering the following:
- Knowledge & Skill: The Yin & Yang of Operator Training.
- On-site training at your location.
- New products available!
- A question on operator recertification.
- Last chance programs.
- What’s Wrong With This? Photo.
- Funny workplace safety tips.
- Interesting articles.
- Incident report: Four workers hospitalized in propane cylinder explosion.
- Upcoming events schedule.
But first, check out all the places where we are delivering training this month…
Knowledge & Skill: The Yin & Yang of Operator Training
I remember when I was introduced to a forklift as an operator. My training consisted of my boss telling me, “Here’s the gas, here’s the brake, up and down lever over here…hurry up and don’t hit anything,” and off I went, apparently now an operator. I used two basic methods of learning that I came to rely on heavily – the watch and mimic and the ever popular trial and error. Using these two methods I can tell you that I learned two things: what not to do and how to get it done fast! However in eight years of loading trucks, trailers and rail cars with a forklift, I can’t honestly say that I ever learned to operate one, at least not by today’s standards. In those days and the decades that led up to them, users of forklifts did not see the big picture with respect to the benefits of training. In fact, many of them didn’t see any picture at all.
Today, things are very different as employers are held to more stringent regulations and are typically subject to more swift and severe consequences where training, or more specifically the lack of it, is a factor in injury and/or damage producing incidents. There is however one annoying remnant from the dark ages which is in the perception of some as to how much training is necessary, particularly classroom or what I call, theory training.
Now I’ll be the first to admit that the most important thing that forklift operators must demonstrate on a consistent basis is the ability to operate the equipment safely and competently. But there are some that would argue that that is all they must do. In short, an operator’s knowledge of the equipment does not seem to be perceived as having the same importance as their skill, but I couldn’t disagree more and here’s why.
In my humble opinion knowledge is not merely the ability to memorize and regurgitate information. Knowledge is commensurate with understanding which means that an operator must not only know what to do and how to do it, but why. An operator with a complete understanding of the workings of a forklift is far and away a better operator than one who does not for two big reasons:
- Since they understand the rationale behind safety rules and procedures they are more likely to comply with and follow them.
- Their level of understanding gives them the ability to think on their feet and make wise decisions on the fly, even on issues that may not have been covered during training.
I’m sure there are some who would scoff at this and say that “because it’s dangerous” or worse “because I (or OSHA) say so or else” are adequate reasons to operate safely, and in some cases they may be right. After all, fear can be quite a motivator. But do we really want to promote safety by scaring operators away from poor behavior rather than motivating them toward proper behavior? I don’t know about you but in my experience I have noticed heavy handed tactics work best while someone with a heavy hand is there and ready to bring it when things get out of line. However, the instant they’re not things tend to return to “normal.”
Getting back to forklifts, let’s look at just a few items that are (or should be) involved in any operator training program and why they should be understood and not just memorized by operator trainees.
Forklifts are heavy. An unloaded medium duty (say 5,000 lb. capacity) counterbalanced warehouse unit could easily weigh up to 10,000 lbs. – unloaded! When that much weight gets moving a tremendous amount of energy builds up. This energy, in the form of momentum/inertia/impetus/centrifugal force/etc., can work against the machine and have a negative effect on its ability to change speed and/or direction. Once that much weight gets moving it wants to keep moving (inertia) and the faster it goes the harder it is to stop (momentum). If you need to turn, all that weight wants to keep going straight so if you hit the turn too fast it may just pull the whole machine over.
Forklifts have stability issues. There are three main factors that make a forklift far less stable than a car.
- They are built on a triangular and comparatively narrower support frame than the typically wider, rectangular frame of a car. This is done mainly to allow the forklift’s axle to oscillate (pivot laterally) and keep the wheels in touch with the ground, which is a good thing. However, it also gives the vehicle terrible handling characteristics when cornering.
- They have a high center of gravity (CG) meaning that most of a forklift’s weight is situated higher up than it is on a car. To appreciate the effect this has on stability try to imagine how easy it would be to push a refrigerator over if it were upside-down (heavy end up) compared to one that is on its feet with its weight down low. Again, a terrible design for cornering.
- They can elevate. If you think stability was poor before because of the high CG imagine what happens when you raise the mast up another 15 or 20 feet…now place a full 5,000 lb. load up there to boot!
Forklifts steer from the rear. The only similarity between a forklift’s steering and a car’s is that the front end of both moves toward the same direction that the steering wheel is turned in. So if you turn the wheel left, the vehicle turns left. However, when you turn the wheel of a forklift, the back end swings out in the opposite direction. This is known as “tail swing” and it is dangerous because most of a forklift’s weight is in the counterweight located at the rear. When that counterweight starts swinging around at the whim of an untrained operator it can have the same effect as a wrecking ball if it contacts anything (see inertia/momentum above). A forklift is also capable of “pivot point” steering due to the fact that the steering wheels are engineered such that they can turn through a full 90 degree arc that a car can’t get near. Operators must be trained to orient themselves to front drive wheels as the pivot points when turning, particularly during hard (sharp) turns.
For reasons such as those discussed above, a forklift operator must always be aware of the travel speed of the unit particularly in the corners. Although it is very easy for a trainer to tell operators to keep their speed down for no other reason than it is dangerous to do otherwise, it makes a world of difference in the understanding and behavior of the operator if the reasons behind the action are also offered. A good trainer is capable of conveying safety concepts as well as procedures while ensuring that information is digested and understood which maximizes the probability that the understanding of these concepts is demonstrated in the operator’s actions, because at some point, theory has to become practice.
Rob Vetter
Director of Training
IVES Training Group
On-Site Training at Your Location!
Looking for on-site mobile equipment training? Request a quote and we will deliver a customized training solution to fit your needs! Whether you need a Train the Trainer Program for forklifts, aerial lifts or loaders, we can help. Submit your request for a Custom On-Site Training Program and see how easy it is to get the IVES Training System™ working for you!
New Products
We’ve brought in some new items we think you will like, including:
- Lock-Out Tag-Out Kits
- Battery Handling Gloves
- Full Forklift Enclosures
- Rain and Solar Forklift Weather Guards
- Propane and Battery Handling PPE Kits
Get yours today! Login to order yours online or call 1-800-643-1144.
Ask Bob
Q: It has been a while since I did my training, so I’m curious as to how long the certification and recertification process should take. We recently sent one of our employees through the training and he seems to be having significant problems completing this task in a timely manner. I want to be certain that we are on the same page with our trainer as he seems to think that all of our staff that have been previously certified by another trainer, need to be completely recertified.
A: The initial training with 4 or more trainees is an all-day event. The morning is spent on theory in the classroom and the afternoon on hands-on practice and evaluation. Based on an 8-hour day starting at 8:00 AM, and considering that the trainees pick things up reasonably well and are able to demonstrate safe operation, in theory the first of them could be cut loose and sent back to work by 1:30 PM or so. The others would follow one at a time approximately every 30 min. That is the best case scenario.
Previously qualified operators who are returning for refresher training can be turned around much faster than that. Using our operator recert program and materials, operators (up to 12) spend about an hour in the classroom reviewing theory and taking a written test. Then they go out to the machine and spend about another 15-20 min going over an inspection and general driving instructions. From there they can all go back to work and be called for a 20 min evaluation one at a time. So in theory, the first operator in a recert class could be free and clear by 10:00 AM followed by the others at increments of 20-30 minutes. Again – best case scenario.
Last Chance Programs!
Lots of programs to choose from, but we have limited seats available. Click for more details:
US Programs
Salt Lake City, Utah
Premium Forklift Trainer Mar 23-26
Trainer Recertification Mar 27
Sacramento, California
Loader Group Trainer Mar 23-27
Express Forklift Trainer Apr 8-9
Aerial Lifts Trainer Apr 15-17
Skid Steer Loader Trainer Apr 22-23
Excavator Trainer Upgrade Apr 24
Tukwila, Washington
Premium Forklift Trainer Apr 13-16
Trainer Recertification Apr 17
Bismarck, North Dakota
Premium Combo Trainer Apr 20-24
Kapolei, Hawaii
Premium Forklift Trainer Apr 27-30
Rough Terrain Forklift Upgrade May 1
Trainer Recertification May 4
Canadian Programs
Oshawa, Ontario
Premium Forklift Trainer Mar 23-26
Trainer Recertification Mar 27
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Skid Steer Loader Trainer Mar 30-31
Express Forklift Trainer Apr 13-14
Aerial Lifts Trainer Upgrade Apr 15
Loader Group Trainer May 4-8
Excavator Trainer Upgrade May 11
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Premium Combo Trainer Apr 20-24
Prince George, British Columbia
Skid Steer Loader Trainer Apr 27-28
Express Forklift Trainer Apr 29-30
Trainer Recertification May 1
Looking for more program dates? View our calendar!
What’s Wrong With This?
Can you spot what’s wrong with this photo? Click here to share your comments!
Funny Workplace Safety Tips
We came across some funny workplace safety slogans and wanted to share them with you!
- If you mess up, don’t hesitate to ‘fess up
- A spill or a slip could mean a hospital trip
- If you are in favor of safety glasses, Say: ‘Eye’
- Take a shortcut and you will be cutting your life short
- It’s better to arrive late in this world than early in the next
- If you don’t want to bet your life, don’t gamble with safety
- Working in a safe way means you will live to see another day
- Falling objects can be brutal, so wear your hard hat to protect your noodle
Source: safety.lovetoknow.com
Interesting Articles
- Join the National Safety Stand-Down to prevent falls in construction… more
- Worker killed by falling forklift attachment… more
- Pedestrian hit by forklift on college campus… more
- Know the ‘why’ behind your goals… more
- Man killed as front-end loader sinks in dairy waste pond… more
- The North West prepares for forklift rodeos… more
- Jury convicts forklift operator of manslaughter… more
- 5 steps for enhancing safety and reducing the likelihood of an OSHA citation… more
- Forklift in poorly ventilated space lands worker in hospital… more
Incident Report
An explosion at a St. Louis trucking terminal left four employees hospitalized – two of whom were critically injured.
The explosion was caused when two forklift operators were changing a propane tank on a liquefied petroleum gas-powered forklift inside a freight trailer. A loose coupling connection allowed liquid propane to leak, vaporize and ignite, resulting in a flash fire, OSHA found.
OSHA cited the company with one willful and 11 serious safety and health violations and proposed penalties of $119,000.
A 54-year-old lead forklift operator and a 25-year-old newly hired worker with a month’s experience with propane forklifts suffered critical burns, another worker sustained burns to his legs while he helped extinguish his coworkers’ clothing, and a fourth worker using a forklift nearby also received burns.
“Workers must be trained to avoid deadly combinations of flammable fuels, ignition sources and confined spaces, which allow vapors to ignite quickly,” said Bill McDonald, OSHA’s area director in St. Louis. “This incident should remind all employers that using forklifts is one of the hazards workers may face daily.”
OSHA issued a willful violation for the company’s use of several powered industrial trucks with defective or bypassed safety switches.
The administration issued 11 serious violations for not: evacuating the work area after flammable gas was released; not requiring forklift propane containers be switched in an adequately ventilated area; mounting gas containers on the cylinder indexing pin correctly; training workers on extremely flammable gas hazards; requiring hand and eye protection when changing cylinders; labeling hazardous chemicals in the maintenance; and training powered industrial truck operators. Several electrical safety hazards also were found.
Source: www.ehstoday.com
Upcoming Events
We will be exhibiting and/or exhibiting at the following conferences in 2015:
- Safety 2015 Professional Development Conference & Exhibition. Dallas, TX. Jun 7-10
- NSC Congress & Exposition. Atlanta, GA. Sept 26-Oct 2
Make sure you stop by and have a chat with our trade show team!
Client Testimonials
“I thoroughly enjoyed the course and I was actually surprised by the insight shown in the training techniques section. They were very helpful and effective if followed. Thank you!” Michael, Alberta Newsprint Company.
“Excellent training. Will recommend!” Ian, Sandwick Alternate School Dist 71.
“Even with 15 years experience, I learned a lot about how to train.” Craig, PMI Iowa, LLC.
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