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.

A warm welcome is extended to the following Training Organisations who have recently become accredited with ITSSAR.

Category 2 - DJC Training & Consultancy in Daventry
Europa Training in Redditch
Forklift Safety Training in Co. Tyrone
Peugeot Motor Company in Coventry
Plant Tech in Enniskillen

Category 3 - C B Training in Kettering (previously cat.2)
Doug Porter Training Standards in Preston

Full details of these organisations can be found in our Training Directory Web Pages

From 1st January 2007 operator registrations will now receive a plastic "credit card" type ID Card. Please contact Wokingham for the new scale of charges.

The is a voluntary registration scheme and no way will ITSSAR make this scheme mandatory unless instructed by the HSE.

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.

The course syllabus manual for

Skid Steer

Dumper

MEWP

Has now been completed and is ready for purchase

Issued by HSE - Extract from Operational Circular OC 282/31

Training

26. Employees new to the work should be trained before they may have to evacuate in an emergency (initial training). It is recommended that refresher training should be done at lease every 12 months to produce an effective "conditioning" and maintain confidence. Initial and refresher training should be carried out by a competent person.

27. In addition, it is recommended that an assessment of the competence and confidence of operators should be carried out every 6 months. The assessment should include ground level practice of donning the equipment and questioning about the sequence of actions in an evacuation. The assessment can be carried out by the appointed person. The assessment should decide whether individuals require refresher training, i.e. those who have forgotten the important principles for the use of the equipment or express a lack of confidence if they would have to sue it in an actual escape.

28. The employer's risk assessment can be used to determine an alternative frequency and arrangements for refresher training and assessment of competence and confidence. In practice, it may be more straightforward to carry out refresher training every 6 months using a competent person.

29. Candidates should be continually assessed throughout the training and complete a final assessment. it is recommended that the assessment is both oral and practical. Trainers may also wish to consider the use of written assessments. Unwilling or nervous candidates should not be forced to act beyond their own ability and inclination, and further instruction may be appropriate.

30. Training providers should be able to demonstrate they are competent and should only undertake instruction on evacuation equipment they are familiar with.

31. It is recommended that the evacuation equipment fitted to mechanical handling equipment is not used for training, unless it is inspected by a competent person before being returned to the mechanical handling equipment for use. Most decenders are designed for single use followed by inspection and re-packing. The equipment used should replicate the equipment supplied with the machine but ideally should be designed specifically for training.

Hi everyone just keeping you up to date with the course syllabuses.

A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8....AVAILABLE NOW
Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4....AVAILABLE NOW
F1, F2....AVAILABLE NOW
C1, C2, C3....AVAILABLE NOW
M....AVAILABLE NOW
E2, E3....AVAILABLE NOW
H1, H2....AVAILABLE NOW
J1, J2, J3....WORK IN PROGRESS
J4....WORK IN PROGRESS
P....AVAILABLE NOW
T....AVAILABLE NOW
LOADING SHOVEL....AVAILABLE NOW
J6,J7....AVAILABLE NOW
MINI DIGGER....WORK IN PROGRESS
SKID STEER....AVAILABLE NOW
LORRY LOADER....AVAILABLE NOW
DUMPER....AVAILABLE NOW

MANY THANKS TO ALL INVOLVED IN THE FORUM AND FOR THE ENTHUSIASM STILL SHOWN TO COMPLETE THESE COURSE SYLLABUSES.

Sandra Hogsden
Training Standards Advisor

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

All ITSSAR Instructors will know that training FLT operators is tackled in various sections laid down by the Accrediting Bodies Forum. Each section is aimed at imparting specific knowledge. One section is the theoretical training aimed at ensuring the trainee has the necessary background knowledge on which to base his/her practical training. Learn Direct has developed a computer program to cover the necessary theory and the candidate's grasp of the theory is confirmed by a final computer based test. The trainee is then supposed to continue with his/her practical (hands on) training under simulated conditions such as that laid down by the Accrediting Bodies Forum. This Forum's well proven system, tests the trainee's ability to actually operate a truck.

Regrettable it has become apparent that too much emphasis is being given to the computer section of the training, often at the expense of the practical work. This is probably brought about because it is easy to separate it from the practical section and conducted on a separate occasion. it may also be because Government grants are available under certain circumstances. The practical training that suffers often includes pre and post use checks of a trucks condition, which are an essential part of training if sale operation is to be instilled in an operators mind.

ITSSAR instructors are advised that Training Standards Advisors will be looking out for the above training shortfalls and will take the appropriate action where training is seen to be suffering. It is expected that ITSSAR instructors will use the approved theory tests and not rely on the Learn Direct Scheme.