Training is a basic requirement for people who have had no experience or understanding of certain equipment, job task or skill sets.
“You can’t hope to operate a forklift safely or efficiently by trial and error,” says Daryl Lord, managing director of Ausfork Pty Ltd, a national provider of forklift training and assessment.
“There have been many serious injuries and even fatalities caused by lack of knowledge of how something worked how to stop it or make it operate in a particular way.”
“Research shows that extensive training will produce fewer knowledge based mistakes or accidents but will not prevent all mistakes,” Lord says.
“Some other contributing factors include, external issues like changing ceiling heights or using more than one type of forklift or different types of attachments.
"Frequency of use has also shown to have an influence. Someone who rarely uses equipment may damage product because of poor distance judgment.
"Whereas a frequent user may also damage goods or product because of inattention to detail, they are cruising and not concentrating.”
Ausfork training aims to have operators capable of doing the job not just the ability to pass a test. “We look to improve the knowledge base and raise the level of practical skill sets that our trainees can demonstrate consistently,” Lord says.
“We provide upgrades and information to our trainers regularly to make sure they are keeping up and delivering Industry Best Practice training.
“At our training centres we use high level racking, various size, shape and type of load, various stillages, attachments and an obstacle course, all of which simulate real workplaces and real work practices.
"We have added new forklifts fitted with seatbelt interlocks and even cameras on some of our high reach forklifts.
"We use the latest DVD and picture based training aids available as some people learn by reading others by seeing and others by doing.”
Ten years ago workers would simply be asked: ‘Can you drive a forklift?’ Over time expectations have changed. Labour hire agencies apply guidelines requiring workers to have the appropriate licence.
The Australian States and Territories have agreed to a new national standard of licencing for operators of high risk plants: the ‘Licence to Perform High Risk Work’.
This will include forklift Class LF and LO, along with equipment such as cranes, boomknuckle work platforms, rigging and scaffolding.
Forkpro Australia managing director Todd Brennan says this new standard was supposed to bring all licensing into a uniform arena.
“Most states are still implementing the standard and each state has taken a different approach to implementation,” he says.
“However once the standard is fully implemented there will be two classes of licence nationally. LF for counterbalance and reach forklifts and LO for all operator elevated forklifts such as order pickers.
"The new standard will actually provide for part of a vocational education qualification which will be a great benefit if operators wish to gain further qualifications in Transport and Logistics.”
According to Daryl Lord, ‘old style’ certificates were originally issued under each state or territory and were only ever intended for use in that State/Territory.
“So if you moved interstate you were required to be re-tested and pay for a new certificate,” he explains.
“States and Territories have long had numerous inconsistencies and different policy or procedures for example, most states and territories had adopted a new test assessment instrument for forklift in August 2000, but the Tasmanian government didn’t update and have been issuing the same ‘Certificate of Competence’ for the last eight years using the old test.”
“In some states trainees need to have and use a training log book prior to being tested to record the type and duration of their training and practice under supervision.
"In other states like Victoria a log book is not required. In WA a tractor with a set of fork arms mounted on it to shift product requires a person to have a forklift licence.
"The other States & Territories don’t require forklift licences."
Lord maintains the impact of these differences is a great deal of frustration. "Companies find it difficult to keep their staff up to date because changes are being made on an adhoc basis by eight different regulators,” he says.
“The end result is that most multi-site companies are getting no economies of scale. They have people responsible for administration of training and licencing multiplied out at each site, trying to keep up to date with their own jurisdiction.”
The new ‘Licence to Perform High Risk Work’ system should be fully in place across Australia by July 2012. “The states are going about the transition from the two previous systems at different times and in different ways," Lord confirms.
"What we have in essence is a nationally recognised but not nationally consistent forklift licence system. Someone with an ‘Old Style’ type certificate needs to go back to the State/Territory of issue for a new ‘Licence to Perform High Risk Work’ before it expires.
"Someone with an existing ‘National Certificate of Competence’ needs to contact the regulator in their state of residence to check on their requirements for transfer to new ‘Licence to Perform High Risk Work’."
With a network of companies and affiliates around the country, Todd Brennan says Forkpro Australia has the philosophy that productivity is a by-product of safety.
“However ask a company that has had a serious accident on their site, what happened to their productivity,” he says.
“There are so many areas that are affected. There is the personal trauma to those involved and witnesses, the investigations, compliance costs, legal costs and it goes on.”
“Luckily most of the companies we deal with have good safety strategies in place. Of course we also are not afraid to advise our clients when we see a gap. In fact the other arm of Forkpro Australia is compliance consulting work in this area.”
While many companies understand the need for effective training, both Brennan and Lord agree it is not the only thing that will stop accidents.
“A safe work place is made up of a suite of control measures and one part of that is training,” Brennan says.
Lord believes the key factors include knowledge and understanding of equipment, site and site hazards, the job or tasks and the best method of completing tasks safely along with the right attitude to safety.
“Management and operators must buy-in to following the company’s safe work practices — no shortcuts or omissions,” he says.
“Workplaces must band together to develop good work habits from the start and replace any bad habits like not looking behind over both shoulders before reversing.
“Finally, minimum skill levels obtained should be practiced under supervision until an operator is able too continue independently.
"New tasks or new equipment will require more supervised training and practice.”
Lord says his experience convinces him that the provision of proper Forklift Driver Training is the second most important factor to be considered by industry when looking to improve safety and productivity.
“The most important priority is to select the right people for the job,” he says. “Operator training needs to become the first priority as soon as the decision is made to hire a new worker or move someone to a new position.
"Their induction training, equipment specific and company safe work practices training needs to be carried out before they are let loose and expected to perform.”
“Companies tend to view forklift and other materials handling equipment training as important but not as important as maintaining production or filling the customers order on time in full. Often it takes a serious injury or fatality to really focus people on how dangerous the use of this equipment is.”
“Some companies struggle with providing any of this training in-house because they have become so ‘lean and mean’ they either don’t have the skills or qualifications, don’t want the responsibility or haven’t got the time for training because of multi tasking or covering for someone off on leave.”
Lord argues most tasks and most business operations require team work and co-operation. “Many companies make the mistake of failing to plan. Employers have many responsibilities as part of providing a safe workplace, including offering information, training and supervision.” Employees also have responsibilities, however.
“They need to follow the safe work practices outlined in company policy and procedure documentation,” Lord says.
"They need to read and comply with instructions, signs, notices and directions from Health & Safety committees. They also need to stop and say something to their manager if it is not safe to continue work in the way they have been asked.”
Forkpro Australia’s Todd Brennan says the greatest benefits arise from training managers and supervisors prior to training staff.
“It is assumed that because someone is in a senior role they have it all at their fingertips and that they support best practice,” he says. “However unless the practices learned in training are supported by management, the trainees just go back to their old ways. Change needs to be driven from the top.”
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