We can hardly believe it’s our last newsletter of the year! In this December 2014 IVES Update Newsletter edition:
- Feature Article: IVES’ Top 10 Accomplishments of 2014.
- What’s Your Trainer IQ? Answers.
- New DVD: Forklifts – Reducing Product Damage.
- Ask Bob: A question on training operators on electric forklifts.
- Last Chance Programs.
- What’s Wrong With This? Photo and answer.
- Laugh of the Day.
- Interesting Articles.
- Incident Report: Overloading equipment led to worker’s death.
But first,we’d like to wish you a Merry Christmas! Please note that our offices will be closed on December 25-26 and January 1.
IVES’ Top 10 Accomplishments of 2014
It’s been a busy year for us and so we thought we’d break it down and reflect on the year.
- Our hardworking team delivered programs all across North America. Collectively we trained more than 2300 people in over 700 days of training! Here’s a map showing all the cities we conducted training in this year.
- We began offering End-User Fall Protection Training at our client’s facilities for their employees. We hope to expand our offering to include a Train the Trainer option in 2016.
- We expanded our Open Enrollment training locations to include Bismarck, North Dakota and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
- This year we gained some new additions to our team, including Ryan Bazett, Materials Management Assistant; Bob Wang, Accounting Manager; and Ryan Stoochnoff, Certified Master Trainer.
- We released four “Moving a Load” tutorial videos on YouTube. Watch them here!
- Our team exhibited and spoke at some great conferences this year all across the country including NDSC, ASSE and NSC.
- We introduced a whole bunch of new products including new trainer power packs, introductory videos, and a rigger’s reference handbook!
- We uploaded lots of free documents for the exclusive access and use of IVES Certified Trainers to our Member Dashboard including new Supervisor’s equipment and site checklists, a Stability Pyramid PowerPoint Presentation, recertification theory test answer keys, operator reference manual answer keys, and operator documentation and certification procedures.
- We made the front cover of Lift & Access magazine!
- We’ve featured lots of great articles including No Weak Links, Are Your Forklift Operators Fully Trained?, An Open Letter to Employers – Train Your Forklift Operators, and Is Practical Training Practicable?
Thanks for helping make this a great year. We hope you have an excellent holiday season!
What’s Your Trainer IQ? Answers
Time to test your knowledge! Choose the best answer to the following questions:
1. In addition to being trained, evaluated, and found competent, what must an operator receive before using any mobile equipment?
a) A valid driver’s license.
b) A medical fitness test.
c) Authorization from the employer.
d) The manufacturer’s operating manual.
2. If an operator does not check the equipment’s service brakes during a practical evaluation, you should:
a) Stop and ask him/her about it at an appropriate time.
b) Mark it down on the evaluation form and continue.
c) Stop the evaluation immediately.
d) Tell him/her to check the brakes.
New Video! Forklifts – Reducing Product Damage
This video covers the common ways forklift operators cause product damage in a warehouse environment and recommended practices for avoiding this damage. It is meant to be used as an introductory or refresher course for warehouse forklift operators. Length: 15 minutes.
Product Price: $200.00
IVES Member Price: $175.00
To order, call 1-800-643-1144 or click here to order online.
Ask Bob
Q: Hi Bob, I have been training students on Class 4 and 5 forklifts for quite a few years. I have been asked to train students on electric forklifts. Am I qualified to do this with my 2 day express certificate.
A: Yes, your credentials also enable you to train operators of battery-powered counterbalanced forklifts. Just be sure to familiarize yourself with the equipment before doing any training classes. I suggest reading through the equipment manufacturer’s make/model specific operating manual while at the machine and referencing the systems and controls on the unit as you read about them in the manual.
In my experience, the two main differences between electric and engine powered from an operational perspective are:
1 – The actuation speed of the lifting mechanism is determined by how far the operator moves the control levers (lift/lower, tilt, side shift, etc.) in a given direction rather than the RPM of the engine.
For example, if the operator of an electric unit wants the forks to go up slowly then he/she pulls back on the mast raise/lower control lever just a little. The further that control is pulled back, the faster the mast goes up. This is known a “proportional” control.
2 – Since the main power source is a battery, operators whose responsibilities include battery care and charging have to be trained on the proper ways to do that as per the battery manufacturer’s operating manual. Be sure to read it over yourself and get the required items in to your training. Also make sure the operators know where they can find that manual.
Other than that, electrics work exactly the same way as engine powered units, the science is the same.
Hope that helps, Bob.
Last Chance Programs!
Lots of programs to choose from, but we have limited seats available. Click for more details:
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Forklift Operator Training Jan 7
Beginner Forklift Operator Training Jan 8-9
Express Forklift Trainer Jan 14-15
Trainer Recertification Jan 16
Premium Forklift Trainer Jan 19-22
Aerial Lifts Trainer Jan 28-30
Sacramento, California
Express Forklift Trainer Jan 12-13
Trainer Recertification Jan 14
Bismarck, North Dakota
Premium Combo Trainer Jan 19-23
Irving, Texas
Aerial Lifts Trainer Jan 27-29
Trainer Recertification Jan 30
Tukwila, Washington
Express Forklift Trainer Jan 28-29
Trainer Recertification Jan 30
Looking for more dates? Check out our calendar!
What’s Wrong With This?
A concerned IVES Certified Trainer sent in this month’s picture. Can you spot what’s wrong with this photo? Click here to share your comments!
Answer to Last Month’s WWWT?
In last month’s photo, the aerial boomlift operator doesn’t appear to be wearing the required fall protection gear and is working outside of the platform with the midrail locked in the up position at the access point. There also appears to be an orange/red line tied to the midrail to the right of the console which might be supporting a suspended load.
Remember, aerial boomlift operators must always wear a personal fall protection system connected to the manufacturer’s designated anchor point on the equipment. Also, operators should always position the platform such that they are able to work from within its confines to avoid any potential crushing and/or falling hazards.
Did we miss anything? Click here to share your comments!
Have an interesting photo that you think your fellow trainers would like to see? Send it in to info@ivestraining.com!
Interesting Articles
- Complacency: Safety’s Worst Enemy… more
- 13 poisoned by forklifts’ carbon monoxide fumes… more
- OSHA proposes $330,000 in fines for shipping company… more
- Are you creating good safety habits… more
- Telehandler overturns, pinning and killing worker… more
- Fighting fatigue in the warehouse… more
- Fines issued by OSHA in ice bucket death involving bucket truck… more
- OSHA proposes $22,500 in fines in front-end loader death… more
- How to deal with cold stress… more
Incident Report
A worker at a construction site was crushed by a load of oriented strand board (“0SB”) sheathing that slid off the overloaded fork attachment of a skid-steer loader. He suffered fatal injuries.
The worker was in front of the loader, directing the operator. When the operator raised the loader’s forks to position the load, the machine’s right front tire sank into the ground. The loader lurched forward and the straps holding the OSB together broke.
WorkSafeBC determined that overloading had destabilized the machine and was the main cause of the incident. The loader’s capacity with the attached fork was 708 kilograms (1,560 pounds). The OSB weighed 1,578 kilograms (3,478 pounds) — more than twice the loader’s capacity. The ground itself was also a factor. It was bumpy and sloped in the incident area, as well as soft in some places. The manufacturer’s manual stated that the loader should be operated only on clean and level ground. Further, the operator was new on the job and was not formally trained to operate a skid-steer loader.
The worker’s position in relation to the loader also played a part in the incident. He was standing in front of the loader and slightly to the left of it, with a dirt bank behind him that prevented his escape from the falling load of OSB.
Safe work practices:
Determine the rated operating capacity of your equipment — including any attachments used — and stay within that capacity.
Operate mobile equipment according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Ensure that workers are qualified to operate mobile equipment and any attachments used. This includes ensuring that they know how to read a load chart and understand the conditions that can affect the equipment’s capacity.
Provide workers with the training and supervision needed to ensure their safety.
Provide new workers with a workplace-specific health and safety orientation before they begin work.
[Source: WorkSafeBC]
Client Testimonials
“The best training I have ever received.” Christopher, Westcon Equipment & Rentals.
“Materials are thorough. Really enjoyed this training!” Angelina, AgSafe.
“Entire program was very in-depth. I believe IVES has a great training program.” Issac, Xtreme Drilling & Coil Services.
“I thought this training was very exceptional.” Lance, CH2M Hill.
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