Effective training is the cornerstone of any good safety program. Unfortunately, many organizations look at training as a formality, a box to be checked on the way to compliance. In today’s busy environments, it is not often that you have the undivided attention of the workers.  OSHA requires that all training on heavy equipment be performed by an experienced, qualified trainer.

In this program we’ll discuss forklifts, which are also called powered industrial trucks.  Whatever name used they require professionals to operate them. The past 20 years has seen a variety of training programs for forklift operators, ranging from “get on it and don’t have accidents”, to complete, comprehensive training and performance testing and evaluations. New governmental rules have made training mandatory and that training must be quite specific. Specific to the equipment you operate and specific to the conditions under which they are operated.

No two facilities are alike, therefore site-specific training is required.  This means anyone required to operate forklifts must be trained and evaluated by knowledgeable and experienced trainers and supervisors.    But exactly what does this mean? Anyone required to operate forklifts must be trained in a wide variety of topics, including Engineering Principles, Forklift Operating Rules, Equipment Characteristics, Environmental Hazards, Operator Maintenance, Hazardous Locations, Surface Operating Conditions, Site Specific Operations, potential hazards and other information.  Government standards require employers to make the training site specific for your workplace and the potential hazards that may exist in your company or area of operations.

Training should include three distinct methodologies.  First, there’s academic or classroom training.  This program covers the majority of the required classroom training, but your company amplifies this training by making your training site specific to your operations.  Next, operators must be provided “hands on” training to ensure operators fully understand controls, equipment performance, individual characteristics of each forklift equipment they will be operating and the potential hazards that may be encountered in your work area or organization.  The third method of training is evaluation.  Through the evaluation process, operators can learn from mistakes and improve their performance.  An evaluation means an experienced person, such as a trainer or supervisor who has the knowledge, training and experience to train and evaluate operators’ competency in forklift operations.  The evaluator observes individuals who operate forklifts to determine their safe operation of the vehicle, how the operator observes safety rules and how the operator knows, understands and handles the equipment.  The four primary topics or areas to be covered in the training program include:

1. The general hazards that apply to the operation of all or most powered industrial trucks.
2. The hazards associated with the operation of particular types of trucks.
3. The hazards of workplaces generally.
4. The hazards of the particular workplace where the forklift is operated.  Also called site specific training.

The purpose of this type of training is to make sure potential hazards in each specific location or workplace are identified and forklift operators are more aware of the specific potential hazards.  How that person’s competency is evaluated is up to the company. This can be through testing and examination, performance evaluation or other means of evaluating the level of previous training. All forklift operators must be evaluated at least every three years.  Employers need to keep documentation of when the employee was trained, an evaluation by a qualified person that the employee safely operated the forklift for the job they are required to do. OSHA requires forklift operators receive refresher training every three years.

Total Equipment Training realizes most workers have short attention spans, and lectures tend to be boring and unproductive.  Our trainers get their audience involved by asking questions and seeking feedback. Through the use of power point presentations and movie clips with updated real life situations our trainers engage the student to discuss topics concerning their workplace which results in a custom program for the specific site. All students should receive an evaluation at the end of each class. Written quizzes or tests to demonstrate understanding are good to keep on file to show the employee was successful in learning the training topic.

Forklift training ends with a practical training exercise set up in the workplace environment to teach and evaluate that the operator.  The exercise will ensure that the operator understands safety precautions and is able to demonstrate their knowledge and ability to operate the forklift in their work environment. Students will receive a practical evaluation through use of a check-off sheet indicating they have the skills and knowledge to successfully to their job.

An employer should  designate a competent person to continuously evaluate training needs and build upon a training program using feedback from their students and keeping up with changes in the work environment.

Remember that employers have the ultimate responsibility for certifying that their employees have been trained to work safely.

Application to CCO is required to obtain a test site and two weeks prior to the exam each applicant is required to turn in their applications to either Total Equipment Training or to IAI. An application is also required to CCO in order to set up the practical testing and obtain a CAD report, which is what the examiner uses to ready the course for testing. There is also a charge for the weight and course rental, in addition to manuals and delivery fees.

The process begins with a 3-day classroom preparation which includes core, specialty and load charts. On the fourth day will be the exam in the morning and you will be given 4 hours to complete the exam. You may choose up to three specialties to test on. Each section consists of it’s own separate questions.

Upon completion of your written exam you have one year to obtain your practical exam. If you are unable to pass your practical exam you will be required to retake your written exam in order to obtain your CCO certification.

During the exam our trainer will be outside setting up the CCO course in preparation for your practical hands on preparation. After you are finished taking the exam you may head outside to begin your hands on training. Depending upon your experience level you will probably need anywhere from 1-3 days to feel confident that you will pass your CCO practical examination.

The course has been set up per CCO specifications with the CAD report that is specific to your crane. The practical exam is a timed exam. Upon passing both parts of the CCO process, you will receive your CCO card, which is good for 5 years.

Before the expiration date, you will need to be recertified. This includes passing another written exam and continuing to meet all of CCO requirements. Recertification candidates who need to take the Practical Exam for any reason, however, must do so before their certification expires. Candidates whose certification has lapsed must take both the regular Written and Practical Examinations again to be certified again.

The Recertification Written Examinations consist of a Core Examination in crane operation and up to four Specialty Examinations. The Core Recertification Examination has 40 multiple-choice questions with a time limit of 45 minutes. Each Specialty Recertification Examination consists of 10 multiple-choice questions with a time limit of 30 minutes. Four of the questions in each Specialty Exam are load chart questions. Upon passing this recertification test, you will receive your updated CCO card which is good for another 5 years. Please remember that you must also keep up with updated your physical information with your employer and this information must be kept in your employee file at all times.

Remember that we also offer CCO rigger and signal training in addition to all heavy equipment vehicles. You may also want to brush up on your 10 hour OSHA and scaffolding training. Vehicle inspections must be completed yearly and we can handle all of that for you.

Whether it is General Industry or Construction, employers have the responsibility to provide their employees with a workplace that does not have serious hazards and the training to safely perform their job. It is the employer’s responsibility should an accident occur to have on file that the employee involved received the proper training and understands how to perform their job safely. The best way for an employer to accomplish this is through a formal training program and written documentation that the individual was trained and either through a written or a practical testing situation proves they are able to perform their job safely. OSHA does not require written documentation of training provided in all professions but an employer who has done their due diligence will have an advantage should OSHA inspector arrive for an inspection or accident investigation. Evidence of an up to date training plan is one of the best insurance policies a company can have.

The influx of inquiries received regarding Sling Inspector training may be directly related to the new regulations but companies who use rigging for material handling should have an on-going training program to deal with not only new requirements but reinforce all requirements through periodic refresher training. While it makes sense to designate a sling inspector, anyone handling materials using rigging gear should be included in the training program (crane operators, site supervisors, riggers, signal person, etc.).

The mishandling and misuse of slings are the leading cause of sling related accidents. Most injuries or accidents can be avoided by proper sling care and use.

The new regulations basically have to do with the actual markings on the sling and those specific changes are outlined below.

Riggers and Sling Inspectors will be familiar with the ASME B30.9 standard that included load capacity tables. ASME updated their earlier standard in 2010 and removed all load capacity tables for slings. The tables had become obsolete and ASME replaced the tables with a requirement that prohibits users from loading slings in excess of the recommended safe working load. These limits are now required to be affixed permanently to identify slings and shackles. In the past this was not required of wire rope slings but now is.

Sling manufacturers are required to have all slings tagged showing the maximum load capacity and shackle manufacturers are required to have their rated capacity permanently affixed. With this change all slings, wire rope included must be marked. There are no exceptions.

End users will need to make sure all of their slings have the required information. Any sling that is not tagged will either need to be inspected and retagged or taken out of service. Inspection of tags should become part of the material handler’s daily inspection before making a lift. Procedures should be put in place to replace a tag damaged by normal wear and tear with a replacement tag so the sling can remain in service. Shackle manufacturers emboss capacity information right into the shackle. The end user must assure that the markings remain legible. The new OSHA regulation regarding sling identification is important. Employers need to institute policies and procedures for safely handling a material lift. Operators must know the rated capacity of a sling before making a lift and having that information attached to the sling is important however there are many other specific requirements regarding inspection and use of rigging gear. A comprehensive rigging training program will include sling inspection as well as how to analyze a load and choose which type of sling to use, how to maintain slings, safe lifting practices, etc.

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