NPORS Training Standards Committee

ALLMI was founded in 1978 at the request of the Health & Safety Executive and has always been heavily involved in forming and influencing “Best Practice” within the lorry loader industry. Although ALLMI has been successfully involved in a number of issues, ALLMI members were polled in 2003 with regard to their feelings towards the Association, its activities and its overall profile. The response was that they wanted the Association to enjoy a much higher profile and to perhaps offer a number of peripheral services to its members.

The poll within the ALLMI membership suggested a natural solution; that the Association should build towards merging ALLMI with ALLMI Training Ltd. This provides the organisation with synergies, a single point of contact and the structure to provide any peripheral services in addition to creating the opportunity for a stronger presence in the industry.

This merger has now taken place and ALLMI is currently 13-months into a 24-month program of implementing some major changes. These include: -

• Replacing the Executive Committee of ALLMI and the Board of ALLMI Training Ltd with a Management Board for the newly merged organisation. All officers have been elected and include representatives from 3 of the biggest loader crane Manufacturers.
• Introducing a Buyers' Co-operative to enable all Members, particularly the smaller ones, to be able to buy core items such as steel, oil, hoses, insurance and so on through collective bargaining.
• Introducing a certificated training scheme and ultimately a recognised qualification for people who carry out Examination & Testing of Lorry Loaders.
• Re-writing and updating the ALLMI Code of Practice to incorporate all the more recent product innovations and legislative requirements.
• Establishing a new division of the Association specifically for owners of Lorry Loaders

You can find there details at  www.lorryloaders.info        or        www.allmi.com
No Responsibility accepted for the accuracy of this article Article posted (02/06/06)

Big H says "Please note that this article superseded by the article at the top of the page. It is left on because this article also refers to Grandfather rights ect."

RIDER-OPERATED LIFT TRUCKS: OPERATOR TRAINING APPROVED CODE OF PRACTICE

INTRODUCTION

1 A revised version of the approved code of practice (ACoP) and guidance: HSE booklet L117 Rider-operated lift trucks: operator training (file 790) came into effect on 1 October 1999. It is a revision of that first published in 1988.

2 L117 gives practical advice on the requirements of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER 98) reg.9 as they relate to the basic training of operators of rider-operated lift trucks.

3 L117 gives advice to employers on training of lift truck operators and their supervisors. The revised ACoP and guidance has clarified and amplified earlier advice on the types of lift truck within scope, the selection of training providers and competence of instructors, training needs of supervisors, periodic reassessment of operator competency and requirements for refresher/conversion training, and length of courses. It also covers the duties of employers (in the wider meaning of that term given by PUWER 98) and cooperation between them and site controllers to ensure only trained operators use lift trucks.

HSC RECOGNITION OF ACCREDITING BODIES

Recognised accrediting bodies

4 L117 para 53 refers to HSC recognition of accrediting bodies for lift truck operator training. The accrediting bodies accredit organisations or individuals - 'accredited training providers' (ATPs) - who are deemed competent to provide (or, in the case of individuals, to be) the instructors who carry out the training.

5 There are 5 recognised accrediting bodies:

1) the Association of Industrial Truck Trainers whose accreditation scheme is known as the Independent Training Standards Scheme and Register (ITSSAR)

2) the Construction Industry Training Board whose scheme is part of the Certificate of Training Achievement Scheme (CTA) which covers many types of construction plant. HSC’s recognition is only for lift truck training;

3) Lantra National Training Organisation (previously ATB Landbase);

4) the National Plant Operators Registration Scheme; and

5) RTITB Ltd.

6 HSC recognition of accrediting bodies is intended to promote professional, consistent training standards and to help employers select good quality training. Although accreditation by recognised accrediting bodies is voluntary, the use by an employer of an ATP provides some assurance that the training provided will be at least to the standard described in the ACoP and guidance. Each recognised accrediting body is required to provide details of appropriately qualified and experienced ATPs to enquirers who seek advice about lift truck training. They should also provide a description of their assessment criteria. The schemes operated by the recognised bodies differ in detail, but the principles are the same.

Accredited training providers

7 An ATP may be an organisation, individual or an in-house training scheme. HSC recognises only the accrediting bodies, not ATPs.

8 The main conditions of accreditation are that ATPs use qualified and experienced instructors only, that they follow course syllabuses approved by the accrediting body and that they be subjected to regular monitoring visits by the accrediting body. The training must also be carried out in suitable premises, which may be a dedicated training centre or an area set aside for the purpose at an employer's premises.

9 To become accredited, a training provider applies to one (or more) of the recognised accrediting bodies. If the training is to be carried out at a training centre, the accrediting body will inspect that facility. If training is to be carried out at employers' premises, then the applicant is asked to demonstrate that they have all the necessary equipment and documentation, and to arrange to conduct a training course at which an assessor from the accrediting body would be present.

Instructors

10 There are 2 levels of instructor associated with accrediting bodies: accredited and registered. Both are trained as instructors, and assessed as being competent, on a course approved for the purpose by an accrediting body.

11 An accredited instructor (AI) will additionally have been inspected by the accrediting body as described in para 9 above, be subject to regular monitoring and have to use a course syllabus approved by the accrediting body. AI registration is valid for 5 years, after which the instructor is reassessed and reaccredited. HSC recognises only the accrediting bodies, not AIs.

12 A registered instructor (RI) is trained and tested to the same standard as an AI. Registration is for a 5 year period after which the instructor is reassessed and re-registered. However, an RI is not inspected, monitored or subject to control over their course syllabus by the accrediting body. This does not mean that the standard of training provided by an RI is necessarily lower, nor that they do not follow a syllabus produced by an accrediting body. However, being outside the accredited system, the training may not be as uniform as that provided by an AI, nor is it subject to the same control. Some in-house training schemes are provided by an RI, and the employer may not consider it necessary to apply for accreditation because they monitor their own standards.

Certificates of training

13 Certificates issued by an ATP (or AI/RI) will quote their accreditation number, the name of the accrediting body, and the name and registration number of the instructor who conducted the training. Certificates should always provide sufficient information to allow the training to be traced back to course content. If training has been limited (eg lifting to (say) 3 metres), then the certificate should identify this limitation to ensure that operators only undertake work for which they have been trained. Note that there is no legal requirement for certificates, which are often confused with licences, but ATPs will always issue them and HSE encourages their use as a good way of demonstrating that training has been provided.

TRAINING COURSES

Duration

14 There are many factors that can affect how long a training course should be. It is not possible to set out hard and fast rules, but the following information is given as a general guide. It should be noted that there are training providers other than those accredited by a recognised body, but their courses should be of similar duration to those of an ATP.

15 A course of basic training for novices with a trainee:instructor ratio of 2 or 3:1 is likely to last 5 days. This will allow time for training as described in L117. Where the instructor has only one trainee, the training is not meant to cover the full range of lift truck work, or trainees are not complete novices, then courses may be shorter (L117 para 34).

16 The length of a refresher training course is dictated by the amount of training required to bring operators back up to the required standard of competence. The content and length of the course will be set by assessment of the operators to identify shortcomings and any unsafe habits which need correction. It is not, therefore, possible to advise on the length of refresher training. However, it is unlikely that refresher courses of less than one day will be effective. The quality of the original basic training may be a factor, but the primary indicator is the assessment of training needs by a competent person. As with basic training, the trainee:instructor ratio will influence course duration.

Frequency of refresher training

17 There is no set frequency for refresher training in legislation, neither is there any logical basis for saying that refresher training should be provided at set intervals. L117 advises that employers should continuously monitor the performance of operators to ascertain whether they might need refresher training (indicators might be near misses, accidents or simply consistently unsafe working practices). Although employers are free to set refresher training intervals, they should not then ignore operators for the intervening period (L117 para 47).

Supervisor training

18 For monitoring to be successful, it is essential that people responsible for supervising lift truck operators are also adequately trained. L117 gives advice on supervisor training. Supervisors need sufficient training to be able to understand the risks involved and to recognise safe and unsafe practices. They do not need full operator training. Accrediting bodies are able to advise on supervisor training (L117 para 23).

Use of trucks by non-employees

19 Use of lift trucks by people other than employees is increasingly common. Typically this is done by visiting lorry drivers and service engineers. Employers and site controllers should cooperate to ensure that only adequately trained people operate lift trucks (L117 paras 25-26).

Grandfather rights

20 The original ACoP and guidance, published in 1988, conferred ‘grandfather rights’, in relation to basic training as described in the ACoP, on people who were already operators when it came into effect on 1 April 1989. This reference has been removed from the new ACoP, but neither version is retrospective and, therefore, grandfather rights are implicit. However, employers will still need to demonstrate that such employees are competent to operate safely the lift trucks they use. Over the period since 1989 it is likely that such operators would at least have needed refresher and conversion training.

ACTION BY INSPECTORS

21 Documentation to look for is:

1) training records, which can take any form (computer or paper based);

2) written authorisations to operate lift trucks for all staff who are expected to do so. This may not be confined to people designated as lift truck operators;

3) monitoring systems, recording near misses, etc, to identify the need for refresher training; and

4) if appropriate, systems showing that employers and site controllers are cooperating to ensure that non-employees who may operate lift trucks are adequately trained.

22 Employers should be encouraged to have their lift truck operators trained by an ATP.

23 Where inspectors observe poor operating practices (see HS(G)6 Safety in working with lift trucks (file 790)) they should consider recommending training or refresher training as appropriate.

24 Notwithstanding the above general information on the length of training courses, inspectors should bear in mind that whether or not an individual has received adequate training will be a question of fact. Allegations of inadequate training will need to be supported by evidence.

25 Where there is evidence that training may have been provided by an ATP other than in accordance with the criteria set out in L117 (the ACoP and guidance), details of the ATP and the possible deficiencies should be forwarded to FOD Safety Unit, NW Region.

26 Enquiries about whether a particular training provider is accredited by one of the HSC recognised accrediting bodies should also be addressed to FOD Safety Unit (via ELO for LA enforcement officers).

http://www.hse.gov.uk/lau/lacs/32-7.htm
No Responsibility accepted for the accuracy of this article

What is it all about ?
You could rightly be confused about the differences between AITT  and ITSSAR. When you ask your local training firm, do they end up waffling? Here is a definitive description extracted from the associations Newsletter. AITT - (The Association of Industrial Truck Trainers) formed in the mid 1980’s felt that training was starting to stagnate and needed a new impetus. As there was no Approved Code of Practice and the Health & Safety Commission accreditation did not happen until 1991. It was a bit hard to formalise standards For AITT to maintain and raise standards of effective monitoring it quickly became obvious that new standards of training courses and a completely independent monitoring body had to be formed. So with the help of BITA,  ITSSAR ( Independent Training Standards Scheme and Register) was born. The support of BITA (British Industrial Truck Association) along with the AITT affiliation means that the standards of training and monitoring of the trainers is assured. So to-day ITSSAR is a totally independent body with no joint databases and monitors from all types of industry that have no vested interest in the individual. Just a responsibility to maintain high training standards 

AITT is a body approved and listed as an accrediting organisation by the Health & Safety Commission (HSC) in the Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) for Fork Truck Operator Training. The Independent Training Standards Scheme and Register (ITSSAR), the administration arm of the scheme, is self financing and non-profit making. It has been constructed to cover all sectors of industry which use industrial trucks and it registers and monitors instructors and training organisations meeting its standards. Practical trainers specialising everyday in the industrial truck training industry set ITSSAR standards. The standards are relevant, current, comprehensive and meet national standards.

ITSSAR promotes the high standard of training and operation in industry targeted by the ACoP.
ITSSAR specialises in all types of industrial truck and mobile materials handling equipment.
ITSSAR is dedicated to help you to improve your training.

BENEFITS

• Low cost, because the scheme is industry driven and non profit making.
• Covers all sectors of industry
• Access to information to assist you in maintaining standards of training beyond the required minimum.
• Inclusion in the ITSSAR Directory which is distributed to professional bodies and organisations seeking Accredited Trainers.
• Access to training aides and literature
• A laid down complaints procedure is available if needed
• All members accept that their activites will be independently monitored.
• All registrations are verifiable by certificate and identity card which include a photograph for recognition and security.
• A National Registration Scheme is available to all ITSSAR Instructors for registration of Operators.

ITSSAR offers eight categories of accreditation:

Category 1: Accredited Instructor
Category 2: Operator Training Organisation
Category 3: Instructor & Operator Training Organisation
Category 4: Accredited Tutor
Category 5: Accredited Examiner
Category 6: Site Safety Awareness (Operator)
Category 7: Instructor Site Safety Awareness
Category 8: Plant Operator

ITSSAR also offers the facility for registrations of Fork Lift Truck Operators.

Check out where your local training company is   CLICK HERE

Independent Training Standards Scheme and Register
Armstrong House
28 Broad St
Wokingham Berkshire RG40 1AB
Phone on 0118 989 3229
Fax 0118 979 6058
www.itssar.org.uk