Danny Maron, owner/trainer of Ideal Forklift Training in Canada's national capital, is an independent consultant, providing the education lift truck operators require, to businesses and government, to minimise the chance of incidents in the workplace. Before founding Ideal in 2000, Danny was a trainer at Canada's largest forklift dealer.
In Canada, we have laws and we have standards or guidelines. Each province has a Ministry that regulates labour laws. The Ministry must enforce these laws and have businesses comply. Yes, there are too many businesses and too few officers; however, I am sure that the officers are doing all they can do to uphold the laws.
We also have guidelines, issued by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) that sets forth standards on how we live our lives in Canada. These Standards are not the law. However, they do suggest what is right and what is wrong.
The Standard that involves forklifts is CSA B335-04. It is very complex, especially Chapters 4 and 6 that outline, in great detail, how a forklift operator must safely and efficiently use the forklift, for the operator's safety and that of those working around the forklift. Because, as we all know, the government does not care whether you damage the forklift, property or product, but it does care if someone is injured or killed in a forklift-related incident.
I received a call some time ago from a client looking for refresher training on a sit-down forklift. As I explained to him, the only courses that I provide are for initial training, and if he is interested, he could attend one of the courses at several colleges where I train. He did not seem bothered by that at all, and he continued to ask if I do the mid-term evaluations as well. I was quite shocked at his request as very few people are aware of this practice. The following is a paragraph out of the CSA guidelines pertaining to the mid-term practical refresher:
6.21.2 Mid-term evaluation
Eighteen months after the completion of either initial training or retraining, operators shall undergo a mid-term practical skills evaluation in accordance with Clause 6.20.3. The person conducting the mid-term evaluation of the operator need not be qualified as a lift truck trainer. The results of the evaluation shall be documented.In my experience, most businesses do not practise this guideline. The Ministry does not have a leg to stand on to enforce this guideline as it is not the law.
As the discussion continued, the caller told me that he was trained by his company, yet the company retained his permit. Although I believe this practice unfair as the employee worked hard to earn this permit, it is not my place to be judgmental on this issue.
He tried earning his own permit, having gone out and with his own money had another organisation deem him competent. He was able to retain his own permit. Eighteen months later, he received a telephone call from the training school, advising him that his mid-term evaluation was due. Not knowing what this was about, he asked for an explanation and was advised that a trainer would visit his place of employment and evaluate his skills. When asked the cost of such evaluation, he was told CD75. He was shocked and wondered what would happen if he did not proceed. The answer was that his permit would be invalid. In fear of losing his permit, he agreed to the session and the evaluator came to him and, within less than 30 seconds, watched him grab a pallet from a stack and place it down on the floor beside the stack, before returning the pallet back from which it had been taken. That was the evaluation!
So, if we review 6.21.2, a mid-term evaluation does not have to be hosted by a professional trainer and, since most businesses are unaware of this clause and the Ministry cannot enforce it, why take money from the operator for something that is not the law?
If this worker earns $15/hour, this is five hours work, for 30 seconds of something that is not a requirement. This is an unfair business practice to say the least.
Reciting the laws and guidelines and explaining the differences should be part of each trainer's program. We aim to eliminate the ignorance of safe operation of powered industrial lift trucks; we should also aim to make our students aware of the laws and guidelines.