The fact sheet, which deals with the legal requirements for operator refresher training, is available on the ‘Best Practice’ section of the FLTA website. Drawing on the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE’s) Approved Code of Practice and Guidance: Rider-operated lift trucks: Operator training and safe use (L117), Fact Sheet 12 is aimed at employers, managers, supervisors and those responsible for lift truck safety.
Commenting on the importance of the new fact sheet, Peter Harvey, chief executive of the FLTA, said: “The FLTA believes that regular refresher training for lift truck drivers is vital … Since so much forklift truck work is repetitive, it’s easy for operators to develop shortcuts and pick up bad habits on the job. Routine assessments help to identify bad practice and give management the insight to iron out faults and maintain good driving habits.
The HSE does not regulate on the frequency of refresher courses; it is up to the employer to enforce it, based on driver skill and experience. As Harvey explains, “Regular refresher training is also particularly useful when operators don’t use trucks very often, when working practices or warehouse environments change or to help build operator confidence in the event of a near miss or accident.”
Employers are advised to identify weaknesses, through regular assessment and monitoring, and combat them through regular refresher training courses.
Because of its importance to the industry, the FLTA have also published a refreshers guide to L117, which can be found alongside Fact Sheet 12 on the Association’s website.
