Employers are being urged to get up to date with new operator testing standards for powered pallet trucks, which if put into effect properly are expected to reduce injuries and boost safety and efficiency in warehouse environments.
Accrediting body the Association of Industrial Truck Trainers (AITT) says that most incidents involving PPTs – which include injuries such as strains, trapping and fractures – can be attributed to lack of adequate training.
New and tougher standards for testing the basic operating skills for rider and pedestrian pallet trucks and stackers (Category A) were introduced by the Accrediting Bodies Association (Workplace Transport), which sets standards for skills and training, last December. The test is now said to be nationally consistent, more rigorous and more compatible with other categories of equipment.
“Many employers still believe that operators of PPTs and stackers do not require any formal training,” explained AITT managing director and ABA chairman Adam Smith. But he said that under PUWER regulations it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that staff receive suitable and sufficient training
“Since that has been codified by the Accrediting Bodies Association (ABA) it is the benchmark against which the employer will be judged in the case of an incident that is investigated by the HSE,” he emphasised.
The format for the new standards is based on those agreed in recent years for counterbalance trucks. AITT says that, in broad terms, changes to the regime will affect four aspects of the test. First, elements of pre-inspection will now be mandatory. Second, certain serious faults will carry penalties of five points. If a candidate incurs more than three five-point penalties in any one category, they will receive an automatic fail. Third, increases in penalty points from three to five make it easier to accrue more than 40 penalty points, and therefore fail the test. The final aspect is that, although the theory test paper has the same number of questions as before, four possible multiple choice answers instead of three are given.
AITT points out that the penalties for failing to provide sufficient training for operatives can be severe, with one supermarket chain having been fined £1m when an employee lost two toes in an accident involving a PPT.
Mr Smith said: “The new testing standards target habitual bad practice. Those repeatedly committing the same safety related fault will fail the test’s practical element and require further training.”
He added: “The introduction of common testing standards across all accrediting bodies creates the perfect platform for employers to improve safety in their workplaces. The bigger challenge lies in convincing employers of the requirement to provide training on powered pallet trucks and stackers.”