When it comes to equipment safety training, consistency and a high-quality approach are key. Equipment safety training is not a place to cut corners for employees or supervisors as it directly impacts the day-to-day operations of a business and the overall health and safety of anyone physically onsite.
Large industrial operating equipment such as forklifts (powered industrial trucks), aerial lifts, overhead cranes, scissor lifts, knuckle booms, straight booms, etc. can cause major hazards and accidents on the job site when negligence, inexperience, or misunderstandings occur.
So, what does it take to bring your equipment trainers to a higher level?
At Diamond Training Services, we’ve been in this industry since 2015. As an Authorized OSHA Outreach Trainer, we’ve noted the top three components of solid equipment training:
- Ongoing Professional Development
- Robust Coursework and Assessments
- Applicable Skills
Ongoing Professional Development
Ongoing professional development and knowledge of specific Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations not only keep employees updated on current policies and procedures but ensure the correct usage of equipment and competence of the day-to-day tasks needing that equipment.
In an article by Begelman & Orlow out of Pennsylvania, you’ll see some alarming statistics for industrial, construction, and factory level accidents:
- “The accident rate at construction jobs is 71% higher than in other industries”
- “OSHA’S “Fatal Four” includes electrocutions, falls, being struck by an object and caught in between machinery; these account for 60% of construction accident fatalities”
- “Approximately 60% of construction accidents occur within the first year of an employee working”
What percentage of these statistics could have been prevented with more intentional, relevant, and purposeful training?
Robust Coursework and Assessments
It is not easy to operate a large piece of equipment or a specific set of tools on a construction or industrial site, so training should not be a “let’s sit down for an hour and get this over with” experience.
Courses should be robust enough to allow for not just general instruction but actual, real-time operation and/or driving practice. This is especially important for first-time operators and those with no prior experience with the machine or vehicle. Employees need to understand the basics of the machine, how it works, and ultimately, how to operate it comfortably and safely.
Training should have ongoing assessment and observation with productive feedback to correct any misunderstandings or misoperation of equipment in the moment for maximum retention and learning potential.
Applicable Skills
In OSHA’s own guidebook for Training Requirements in OSHA Standards, they remind employers and business owners that, “It is a good idea to keep a record of all safety and health training.” Documentation can also supply an answer to one of the first questions an incident investigator will ask: “Did the employee receive adequate training to do the job?”
“Adequate training” looks different for different levels of employees and different pieces of equipment. It depends on the job at hand, the existing experience of the worker, and the degree of supervision. Outlining job expectations is a critical component of matching an employee to the proper level and amount of training.
Call on the Experts!
At Diamond Training Services, LLC, our mission is to provide the highest level of professionalism and quality training services possible for our clients when it comes to the safe and correct operation of powered industrial equipment and material handling equipment.
We have a variety of courses to choose from, including our Master Training Course, Powered Industrial Truck Course, Overhead Crane & Hoist Course, and Aerial Work Platform Course. Our team of dedicated and professional instructors and trainers is available to travel to any location for a course, both in the United States and abroad.
Our goal is to ensure your employees have the training, content knowledge, and operational understanding to fully meet and exceed OSHA, ISO, and ANSI standards.
To learn more about our professional development support and services please give us a call or fill out our online contact form.
Please note: We do not train individuals, the person or persons must be a part of a company to participate in our courses.