Latest News

L117 Update

The updated ACoP L117 was "soft launched" by HSE on 19th March to coincide with the IMHX exhibition at The NEC.
It appears that there is so confusion with the the training industry as to the new role of the HSE and its relationship with the Accrediting Bodies.
The aim of this bulletin it to put the record straight and is directly extracted following a Q&A session with Mr Pete Lennon of HSE.
P19 Paragraph 96 cover voluntary accreditation for lift truck training states that the HSE no longer "Administers" an accrediting bodies scheme.
Training providers and instructors are interpreting this to mean that the HSE have dropped The Accrediting Bodies, when in fact the opposite is the case.
The definition of "Adminster" is "Manage" and therefore a more accurate statement would be that the HSE no longer "Manages" the AB in the future this role will be taken up by an outside auditor who as present has not been chosen.
In short The Accrediting Bodies scheme continues in the same way as in the past, however in future it will be managed (audited) differently.
The new Accrediting Bodies scheme is called "The Accrediting Bodies Association (Workplace Transport 2012). The members are AITT, ITSSAR, NPORS abd RTITB. ABA meetings will be attended by the HSE "at least" once per year.

We hope the above helps, any problems please contact Wokingham,

00293422 Abrasive Wheels
00293420 Commercial Vehicle Tail Lift
00293393 Group C1 Sideloader up to 5 tonne
00293394 Group C2 Sideloader 5 to 15 tonne
00293395 Group C3 Sideloader over 15 tonne
00293426 Group D1 Rider Electric Reach Truck
00293427 Group D2 Rider Electric Pallet Stacker
00293398 Group E2 Rider Electric Orderpicker up to 2.5M
00293399 Group E3 Rider Electric Orderpicker over 2.5M
00293400 Group F1 VNA Operator Up
00293401 Group F2 VNA Operator Down
00293402 Group G2 Counterbalanced Container Handler
00293396 Group G3 Rider Sideloader
00293403 Group G4 Telescopic Container Handler
00293425 Group H1 Tow Truck inc Flip Up Platform
00293404 Group H2 Tow Truck inc Flip Up Platform
00293405 Group H3 Tow Truck over 30,000Kg Draw Bar Pull
00293406 Group J1 Masted Lift Truck
00293407 Group J2 Articulated up to 9M
00293408 Group J3 Articulated over 9M
00293409 Group J4 Variable Reach 2/4 Wheel up to 9M
00293410 Group J5 High Lift over 9M 2/4 Wheel
00293411 Group J6 Rotating Turret up to 9M
00293412 Group J7 Rotating Turret over 9M
00293413 Group M Multi Directional Lift Truck
00293397 Group M Multidirectional Sideloader
00293414 Group P Pivot Steer Lift Truck
00293415 Group T Transportable Lorry Mounted Lift Truck
00293421 Loading and Lashing of Loads
00293417 Loading Shovel
00293416 Lorry Mounted Loader (Crane)
00293428 Manual Handling
00293419 MEWP
00293392 Powered Pallet Trucks
00293418 Skid Steer
00293424 Slinger Signaller
00293423 Tandem Vibratory Roller

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lift truck training accrediting bodies update

In 1988 the first code of practice covering operator training for rider operated lift trucks was produced. This provides guidance regarding the requirements for the training of lift truck operators. The recognition of accrediting bodies in this guidance was designed to “help employers select training organisations who offer a good standard of training”.

In 2010 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) held a conference to address the way forward for Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and the role of the accrediting bodies.

Following a period of consultation, representatives of the four main accrediting bodies, namely AITT, ITSSAR, NPORS and RTITB, have agreed to form the Accrediting Bodies Association (ABA).

Criteria has been formulated in order to qualify as an accrediting body based on the HSE proposal, plus adherence to widely used national and international standards for certification and awarding bodies.

The main areas this agreement covers are the standards to which the training providers will have to adhere, the methods of monitoring to be applied by the relevant bodies, and the future registration of operators by the training providers.

The criteria will be the standards that each of the accrediting bodies will have to attain and adhere to, being regularly audited by an independent external auditing body.  Subject to final HSE board approval, the HSE Workplace Transport Team will continue to work with the ABA in an advisory role.
The newly formed association is sure this agreement will bring clarification for future training & testing of all workplace transport and MHE operators.

It will also bring assurance to employers engaging the services of an accredited training provider that the training will be carried out to the standards prescribed in ACOP (L117).

We are pleased to announce that the above course syllabus manual is now available to all ITSSAR Registered Instructors and ITSSAR Accredidated Training Organisations.

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.

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 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