Latest News

Congratulations to Janette Kuik-Horvath who became the 1st ITSSAR lady tutor on Friday 13th January 2012.

Janette started her tutorship training in August 2010 at a company based in Newcastle. Janette would like to pass on her thanks and appreciation to Peter Onions her mentoring tutor and Sandra Hogsden TSA.

Once again congratulations and safe training.

Please note that applications for this Category are on hold at the present moment in time, due to the criteria being revised.

A new Record of Training Form has been designed for instructors to use for their records with regard to training operators. A copy of this form can be obtained from Head Office at Wokingham, please email lynda@itssar.org.uk and the form will be forwarded to you.

I would like to remind Category 1 Instructors that they are only entitled to carry out training inhouse. They are not entitled to issue certification from themselves or work for more than one training organisation. If you are found to be doing so, then you will be given the opportunity to become accredidated, if you do not take this option and continue to train commercially then your Cat. 1 registration will be revoked.

A spot visit was conducted this week to a company in the North of England. The standard of training fell below the mininum required, they have therefore been put on a 3 month temporary accredidation, in which time improvements must be made and adhered to. Well Done, accredidation has now been awarded for a year.

Another spot visit was conducted this week in the Midlands, once again the standard of training fell below the minimum requirement, and 3 months temporary accredidation has once again been given to allow for impovement. Congratulations your standards have risen and accredidation has now been awarded for another year.

WILL YOU BE NEXT

There seems to be some confussion regarding the above named company.

T C Training Services in Northampton are no longer ITSSAR accredidted to carry out operator training.

The instructor Mr T Corcoran is at present under investigation regarding fraudulent certification

We are now able to offer our Accredited Training Centres the opportunity to purchase an Accreditation Plaque 200mm x 300mm x 5mm edged perpex etched crystal plaque, supplied with 4 chrome stand-off fixings. These plaques will be subsidised by ITSSAR.

ITSSAR Accredited Training Centres can contact Wokingham for further details.

Under the Act every organisations that processes personal information must notify the InformationCommissioner's Office, unless they are exempt. Failure to notify is a criminal offence.

Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

08456 306060
email: mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk

Please phone 0118 989 3229 for costing's and further details.

ITSSAR and OPERC have recently held several meetings to discuss how the two bodies can work closer together for the greater good and benefit of the mobile plant and equipment industry. During these meetings, the OPERC-safetynet test was discussed in some detail and it has been agreed that ITSSAR will begin to use OPERC-safetynet as part of a package of training and educational resources to be delivered by ITSSAR.

Mrs Lynda Dopson speaking for ITSSAR said “This is a great opportunity for one of the leading accrediting bodies within the UK to collaborate with OPERC and use the most technologically advanced software system to measure health and safety awareness of operators. This agreement is good for our members and for industry”.

Mr Barry Robinson, MBE, OPERC Chief Examiner said “Collaboration, quality and continual improvement throughout industry are the aims of OPERC and this latest partnership further illustrates that we continue to satisfy these.”

Mrs Lynda Dopson said finally “ITSSAR want to provide the best for industry and working with OPERC, we will realize our ambition.”

OPERC-Safetynet

The OPERC-Safetynet health and safety test has been developed by IRAS Group (IRAS is a IT consultancy company) (with guidance given from international members of OPERC's steering committee group. The fundamental aim of OPERC-Safetynet is to measure knowledge retained once an operative has undertaken basic 'plant or equipment' training. OPERC-Safetynet can be used by any OPERC member (once registered) and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The test costs £25.00.

There are currently three variants of OPERC-Safetynet, namely the operational, general and new modular test. For the operational test a total of 50 questions (relevant to plant and equipment operation and the industry that the machine is operated in) are presented to the candidate and the pass rate is set at 80 percent. Therefore, the candidate must answer 40 questions correctly to pass. Upon successful completion of the operational test, candidates can then undertake the new S/NVQ mandatory questions test paper free of charge. Moreover, each individual unit can be taken at any time and again no charge is made. Having completed the S/NVQ process, automated reports are the generated to include in a candidate’s S/NVQ portfolio thus saving assessor time and expense but also allowing them to spend more time on training the candidate.

For the general test a total of 35 general health and safety questions are presented to the candidate and the pass rate is again set at 80 percent. Therefore, the candidate must answer 28 questions correctly to pass. Any employee or manager can undertake this test and so you do not have to be a machinery operator.

The new modular test offers 35 questions and again the pass rate is 80 percent but for this test, specific training areas (noise, manual handling, Puwer 98, etc.) are focused upon. The idea therefore is that companies can now train operators, formally test them and then identify areas were additional knowledge is required (i.e. training needs analysis) using test results.

Other tests such as process operations are being worked upon and these should be available soon.

One payment entitles the candidate to one free re-test for which the OPERC member is entitled to claim a test fee from the candidate; no further payment is made to OPERC.

The test represents an ideal measure of the trainee operator's knowledge retained once having undertaken a basic course in plant and equipment operation. It can also be used to periodically measure the retained knowledge of experienced operators albeit at this present time, the test is only applicable to mono plant items. In the near future, the test will be expanded to cover operators with multiple categories of plant and equipment on their operator's card.

It is ITSSAR's policy not to recommend any fixed period for the validity of an operator's certificate of training. The reasoning behind this policy is that humans are extremely variable, as are the circumstances of their daily lives. Some operators use their trucks every day through a full working day. Others may use a truck as part of their work activities and many only operate one very occasionally. Some do not use a tuck at all after obtaining a certificate of training. IT would not only be unfair to require everyone to be retested after a fixed time; it would also allow people grossly out of practice to be in charge of a potentially dangerous machine.

In view of the above ITSSAR does not include a re-test date on its certificates or ID Cards and does not suggest or condone such a practice.

If your certificates or ID Cards carry a re-test date, then you are not meeting ITSSAR’s requirements and should remove it from all future documents.

However, you are reminded that it remains the responsibility of each employer to ensure the continued competence of its employees (See HSC’s Approved Code of Practice & HSG 136 (page 50 Para 651)) and to keep dated records of their training including refresher training.

Discount Rates for insurance have been negotiated with CIS part of the The Co-operative Insurance Group. They are able to offer a very competitive rate and cover for above 10 meters.

For further information please contact direct on 0800 068 6687

Discount Rates for insurance have been negotiate with Sydney Packett & Sons Limited.

For further information please contact ITSSAR for a flyer or Telephone direct on 01274 506500

A Special insurance service for Industrial Truck Trainers has been established by Higos Insurance Services Ltd.

This has been specifically designed for Professional Indemnity and Public/Product Liablity cover.

For further information contact:

Chris Wilde T: 07710 982757 chris.wilde@higos.co.uk
Freddie Farrell or Ashley Dwyer 01458 270370