Maintaining lifting equipment, train to maintain

Maintaining lifting equipment, train to maintain – Companies send employees for training as lifting equipment operators to training institutes regularly. They often do so to ensure safe working conditions but also to comply with the requirements of the law. However, it is essential that employers implement policies and strategies that would ensure that the knowledge obtained is maintained and used every day.

According to the 'Driven Machinery Regulations ?� incorporated into the Occupational Health and Safety Act, an operator without a valid certificate or carry card shall not operate any machinery or equipment in a working environment.

The training of lifting equipment driver is a strategy that is efficient in maximising levels of safety in the workplace as drivers are equipped with life skills that help them identify hazards, have the know-how about the action to takes and how to prevent future incidents. They are drilled to ensure that they are in the forefront of safeguarding their own lives and those around them before health and safety officials are involved.

Training helps to maintain and even attribute to an increase in productivity as work would be completed quicker and safely. Machinery has seen the reduction of labour intensity in the work place which comes with fewer injuries and illnesses that has seen many employers saving fortunes.

However, the big question is, how do companies ensure that the knowledge acquired during training is maintained and constantly used in the workplace to their advantage?

Employers could ensure that training is maintained to achieve constant alertness and attentiveness by sending their equipment operators to constant refresher training. This would ensure that knowledge and skills stick with them and they are at arm's length of reach whenever they are required to be implemented. This would be an ideal way of maintaining that levels of knowledge remain constantly high.

Another vital role of employers is to make sure that equipment operators who have certificates that have expired are sent for re-certification training to maintain standards. This would not be in compliance with the law, but to ensure that their skills and knowledge are revived by skilled lectures and ensures the operators are aware of the latest techniques and developments. This would be an advantage for both the employer and the employee as this, ultimately, will save time, money and increase safety in the workplace.

Workplace inductions and workshops are an effective way of maintaining training. Employers are encouraged to conduct seminars and inductions within the workplace to assess how much knowledge and skill employees still have. To maintain a high level education during these workshops, employers should invite an accredited training provider to the workplace to conduct the training and assess the activity.

Ensuring that employees are only sent to accredited institutions is a strategic way of maintaining knowledge and training. This ensures that employees are trained according to the stipulations of the law hence they can relate or share knowledge with other persons that were trained accordingly. Employers should check background information of institutes that they want to send their employees to so that they avoid regrets.

Under the 'Driven Machinery Regulations ?� the law state that operators of immovable machines may be trained/ assessed in the working environment only under the direct and constant supervision of a facilitator/assessor and the work area is safe or safe-guarded. Employees should take the opportunity to invite assessors constantly to their workplace as a way of ensuring that they maintain the knowledge that employees acquired during training.

Training should not be done only to acquire a certificate of perform efficiently. It should be maintained so that employees always perform effectively everyday like they are fresh from training.