Workplace transport safety An employers' guide - ARRI Lighting Rental

Health and Safety
Executive
651 You should consider a gap between training and refresher training of between
three to five years, depending on the risks. Some companies provide refresher
training more often than this.
652 Changes in the workplace may mean that drivers or other employees are
exposed to different risks. Everyone should receive suitable safety training before being
exposed to risks.
653 Training is particularly important for maintenance and repair work, as these are a
major source of injuries and deaths.
654 It is important to keep training records for each employee. These should
include enough information to be able to identify the employee, the full training
history, planned training, and a copy or details of any certificates or qualifications
gained.
655 As an employer, if you are satisfied that an employee is competent to use a
type of vehicle safely, you can store these details and refer to them when necessary
to make sure that employees are trained and competent before being allowed to
operate particular vehicles. This could be a simple document with details of the
types of vehicles (or the specific vehicles) that a person is competent to operate.
656 You should keep the information on a central register.
657 An example of an employee training record is in Appendix 2. You could use
this as the basis for your own records, or just photocopy it and use it as it is.
658 On some sites, drivers must carry a copy of their authorisation when driving a
workplace vehicle (some sites issue authorisations in the form of a badge with their
photograph). People should not be authorised unless the employer is satisfied that
the person is competent.
659 Lift trucks in particular are a potentially dangerous type of vehicle. Every year,
thousands of injuries involving lift trucks are reported. Accidents involving lift trucks
are often associated with a lack of training and poor supervision.
660 The Health and Safety Commission has published an Approved Code of
Practice (ACOP) and guidance called Rider-operated lift trucks. Operator training. 25
This sets the legal minimum standard of basic training people should receive before
they are allowed to operate certain types of lift truck – even if they only operate the
equipment occasionally. It also provides detailed guidance about how this standard
can be met.
661 The ACOP covers stacking rider-operated lift trucks, including articulated
steering truck types. ‘Rider-operated’ means any truck that can carry an operator
and includes trucks controlled from both seated and stand-on positions.
662 If you employ anyone to operate a lift truck covered by the ACOP, you should
make sure that operators have been trained to the standard set out there. For more
information on the types of lift truck covered, refer to the ACOP.
663 The Health and Safety Commission recognises specific industry organisations
as competent to accredit and monitor training providers who train instructors and
train, test and issue certificates for operators.
664 These organisations accredit and monitor training providers against the
standards set out in the ACOP. You can find a list of these recognised accrediting
bodies in the ACOP.
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