Are your trainers qualified?

“Many trainers have received little, if any, training on the standards that apply and how to motivate people to work safely,” says David Hoover, president of Forklift Training Systems, Newark, OH.

OSHA says trainers must have the “knowledge, training and experience” to train others, but doesn’t require any kind of accreditation. So it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the trainer is qualified to train operators and achieve safe working conditions.

Trainers should be familiar with a wide range of topics, relating to the truck and to the specific workplace.

Truck topics include:

* Truck controls and instrumentation – where they are located, what they do, how they work
* Engine or motor operation
* Steering and maneuvering
* Visibility (including restrictions due to loading)
* Fork and attachment adaptation, operation and use limitations
* Vehicle capacity
* Any vehicle inspection and maintenance the operator must perform
* Refueling and recharging batteries
* All other operating instructions listed in the operator’s manual for the type of vehicle to be used
* Proper use of seat belts and operator restraint

Workplace topics include:

* Surface conditions where vehicle will be operated
* Composition of loads to be carried
* Load manipulation, stacking and unstacking
* Pedestrian traffic
* Narrow aisles, other restricted places and hazardous locations where vehicle will be operated
* Ramps and other sloped surfaces
* Closed environments with insufficient ventilation