Lech Kluck, one of AITT's monitoring officers (far left) with a team of instructors. Managing director of TCS, Anar Malikbeyli is on the far right.

The Association of Industrial Truck Trainers (AITT) has furthered its international expansion program with its accreditation of TCS, a training company based in Azerbaijan.

The accreditation was carried out by Lech Kluk, an AITT monitoring officer, who visited the trainer at its site in Baku, where he also monitored an instructor course.

Anar Malikbeyli, managing director of TCS, says his company wanted to work with an organisation that was focused on workplace transport and forklifts in particular. "We had heard very positive reports about AITT for its strong technical expertise and its focus on customer support. They have been extremely professional throughout."

Dave Sparrow, general manager of AITT, says: "We are delighted to welcome TCS and anticipate the demand for our services from all parts of Europe will accelerate over the coming months.

"We are very active in the UK and are also very keen to raise standards across Europe and further afield. To this end, we are working with companies in and around the Mediterranean and the Middle East," Sparrow adds.

Established in 1985, the AITT is one of four accrediting bodies within the Accrediting Bodies Association. It focuses on the training of operators, instructors, tutors and examiners for a range of workplace transport, including forklifts, cranes and some construction equipment.

The not-for-profit member organisation says because it isn't answerable to shareholders, it is focused on providing a service and invests surplus income into improving standards.

In 1991, AITT introduced an accreditation scheme that it says is driven by practical training specialists, aimed at boosting training and safety standards for industrial truck operation. AITT received support from the British Industrial Truck Association and consulted with the Confederation of British Industry, Trade Union Congress Health and Safety Executive and others involved in the professional training of operators and instructors of industrial trucks.