Bringing forklift training in-house means fewer interruptions to daily operations. It also saves on OSHA fees and makes the training more affordable. Forklift training is a requirement for anyone that uses this type of equipment in the workplace.
Availability
If you have a trainer on-site, you can offer forklift training to employees quickly and easily. This reduces disruptions to day-to-day operations and ensures your team members meet OSHA requirements. It also helps ensure that your team remains trained and certified as new information or equipment changes.
OSHA requires forklift training for any operator who uses a forklift in the workplace. A forklift is very dangerous machinery, and an untrained employee can lead to injuries or fatalities at work. Untrained operators may also be subject to large OSHA fines. In addition to classroom instruction, OSHA requires hands-on training. While many online forklift courses provide classroom instruction, they do not include the hands-on portion of the training. Onsite OSHA forklift training and certification Rancho Cucamonga CA provides this hands-on aspect, which is necessary to ensure that your operators are fully prepared and able to operate safely in the workplace. Moreover, it gives them the confidence and experience to operate the machine efficiently.
Safety
Whether transporting goods in a warehouse, moving materials on a construction site, or stocking items in a retail store, workers who operate forklifts must be trained and certified. If they aren’t, they risk getting hurt or causing an accident that could result in a significant fine or legal action. A forklift training course can help employers reduce injuries and lower costs by teaching operators how to use their equipment properly. This includes following specific guidelines like never raising an operator off the ground more than the manufacturer recommends and never traveling up slopes of more than 15%. It also requires using the horn properly to alert other people and vehicles that they are approaching.
Safety training is one of the best investments a facility manager can make, as it can prevent accidents and costly mistakes. By reducing the number of incidents, businesses can save on retraining, workers’ compensation, and lost productivity costs.
Cost
Forklift accidents can have an enormous price tag – not only for the injuries to operators and pedestrians but also for equipment repair or replacement, worker compensation claims, loss of sales during downtime, and, of course, OSHA fines. Keeping your employees trained on the specific types of forklifts they’ll be operating reduces these costs and keeps your team happy and productive.
For example, if someone is certified to operate a sit-down internal combustion forklift, but you need them to operate a reach truck in narrow aisles, additional training will be necessary. Having a trainer come to your business ensures workers are properly trained on their forklifts and comply with OSHA regulations.
Time
A big advantage of having a forklift trainer on staff is the speed and cost savings that come with it. An online forklift training program can be much faster and cheaper than traditional in-person training. However, it does not offer the hands-on assessment portion that OSHA requires. This portion must be taught by a dedicated employee on the company’s staff.
A good forklift training program will combine classroom learning with a practical evaluation of the operator’s performance in the workplace. This on-site portion is necessary to cover location-specific hazards and forklift truck models that may be used in the business’s operations. A forklift safety program saves time and money in the long run by lowering indirect costs such as equipment repair or replacement, fines from OSHA, lost sales due to downtime, and damage to the company’s reputation. Additionally, properly trained employees perform better and can boost morale. This can lead to increased productivity and less downtime, saving even more time and money.