Last month we posted a series of blog posts covering ‘What we do’, so following on we would like to break them down a little more and today lets talk crane and lifting training.
As reported by the HSE, UK law says that all lifting operations involving any lifting equipment must be properly planned by a competent person, i.e. An Appointed Person, appropriately supervised i.e. Crane Lift Supervisor, and carried out in a safe manner. We would recommend by a person with Slinger signaller training.
Cranes and lifting accessories such as slings must be of adequate strength, tested and subject to the required examinations and inspections. Such as the Report of Thorough Examination training, that is available with us.
All crane operators, and people involved in slinging loads and directing lifting operations, must be trained and competent.
Who should you train?
Potential crane and lifting operators should be:
- reasonably fit, both physically and mentally, to safely control and operate lift trucks, with the learning ability and potential to become competent operators;
- reliable, with a responsible attitude to their work;
- physically capable – you should assess this on an individual basis. You may need to get medical advice and make reasonable adjustments to enable some disabled people to work as lift-truck operators. The Equality Act 2010 is likely to apply;
- over the minimum school-leaving age (16), except in ports, where they must be at least 18 years old, unless they are undergoing a suitable course of training, properly supervised by a competent person. Children under 16 should never operate cranes and lifting equipment.
How long should a basic training course last?
It is difficult to specify how long a course should last as there are many issues which affect the rate of learning. Every person is different and therefore our courses are tailored to the candidates individual needs. Typically for novice candidates with no experience the training course duration is 3-5 days.
Operators with some experience of lift trucks or relevant experience of similar vehicles may need less extensive training than those with no experience, however, do not overestimate the value of such experience.
Crane and lifting training ratios
We follow the training ratio’s advised by our Awarding Body NPORS . The ratio’s vary depending on the crane or the lifting course being completed, please do not hesitate to ask for more details.
Testing
Our instructors continuously assess a trainee’s progress to ensure they achieve the required standards throughout the training duration. At the end of the course, the trainees will have undertaken a theory and practical assessment, to demonstrate that they have the necessary practical and theoretical knowledge and skills to operate lift trucks safely.
Monitoring and assessment
Crane and lifting operators, even those who are trained and experienced, need to be routinely monitored and, where necessary, refresher training or experienced worker tests undertaken to make sure they continue to operate the equipment and machinery safely.
How often do I need to provide refresher training?
There is no specific time period after which you need to provide refresher training or formal assessment. However, the HSE recommends refresher training or testing every 3 to 5 years, or earlier if there is an accident, incident or long period of absence from operating a truck. This is the best way to make sure employees remain competent. Where you adopt this approach, you will still need to monitor performance, in case operators need extra training before the set period ends.
Refresher training
Regular refresher training will ensure operators:
- maintain good driving habits
- learn new skills where appropriate
- reassess their abilities
Refresher training or retesting might also be appropriate where operators:
- have not used the machinery or equipment for some time
- are occasional users
- appear to have developed unsafe working practices
- have had an accident or near miss
- have changed their working practices or environment
Our one day refresher courses for up to 3 candidates, include instructor presentation and a theory test, remedial tuition if the candidates have any bad habits etc. whilst conducting the practical assessment.
We also offer a one day reassessment only, which is just testing only. This is for candidates who are experienced workers and do not need the re-training element of the course, and can be a combination of tests i.e. 3 candidates tested on a crane and slinger in the same day.
Other Training
Even though today we are talking about crane and lifting training, we provide much more with over 100 different courses in our portfolio a full course brochure can be downloaded from this website – so have a look at what we do.
Our trained office staff are waiting to help you with any crane or other health and safety training requirements or questions regarding the courses we offer. Just click on this link for the ‘Get in Touch‘ option or give us a call on 01606 832 556.
The Kentra Training Team are waiting to help.
Other related blogs
N104 Overhead Crane Course Syllabus & Details
Overhead Crane – our A 2 Z of Safety Training
What we do – Part 2 Cranes and Lifting Training
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