Training on multi directional trucks

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Congratulations to Craig who passed his training on the multi directional truck recently.

As technology marches on and hydraulic drive is becoming more the norm, multi directional trucks are becoming more widely used.

The ABA (Accrediting Bodies Association) have categorised these into 3 different types and they are as follows:

M1 – is a rider operated electric multi directional counterbalance truck.

M2 – is a rider operated electric and internal combustion engine multi directional side loader.

M3 – is a rider operated electric and internal combustion engine multi directional reach truck.

All these machines have amazing capabilities working in very tight spaces but being able to manoeuvre long loads that would have been very difficult to transport without the old fashioned side loader trucks that would have required much more space.

The photo here shows a M3 multi directional reach truck. This can go forwards/backwards and sideways in either direction at the press of a button.

We do not have a multi directional truck at our training centre but we can provide training on these on customer premises.

For more information on courses call us on 0800 024 8084 or e-mail anne@stackerstraining.co.uk

Training in Hook Norton

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This month, we have been providing training for one of our customers based in Hook Norton.

Hook Norton is a beautiful village in North Oxfordshire.  It lies 4.5 miles north east of Chipping Norton and is close to the Cotswold hills.

Hook Norton is home to Hook Norton Brewery which was founded in 1849 and is an important architectural example of a Victorian tower brewery, as well as containing a working Victorian steam engine.   The brewery has a museum that includes a section on the history of the village. For more information on the brewery and it’s history click on the link below:

Our History – Hook Norton Brewery (hooky.co.uk)

As well as training in Hook Norton, we have provided courses at our training centre near Banbury and also on customer premises in Banbury, Enstone, Abingdon and Didcot.

UKMHA Safety Convention – 11th October 2023

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The UKMHA Safety Convention will take place on 11th October 2023 at the CBS Arena, Coventry.

Designed for the industry by the industry, the convention is the must attend event for anyone with a responsibility for ensuring the safety and well-being of their workers.

Featuring presentations from leading safety professionals and supported by a special exhibition from big name companies in the material handling sector, the convention is attended annually by hundreds of safety professionals from across the UK.

Highlights are:

  • Expert presentations from industry-leading speakers
  • A dedicated exhibition featuring displays from top material handling companies
  • Case studies from prominent businesses
  • Engage with a targeted audience of industry professionals
  • Share best practice on the latest safety legislation
  • Major networking opportunities

Click on the link below to register your attendance:

https://ukmha.org.uk/safety-convention-visitors

 

Training in Gillingham, Kent

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One of our instructors is spending 4 days training on a pedestrian stacker truck in Gillingham this week.

Gillingham has strong maritime and military connections with the nearby historic dockyard in Chatham and the Royal Engineers barracks based in the town.  The town is also the birthplace of the Elizabethan seafarer, William Adams. He grew up in the town before becoming apprenticed to a shipbuilder on the Thames. He learned his trade and went on to navigate a fleet of ships to Japan.

Gillingham is one of five towns in the Medway.  The River Medway threads together Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham. The Hoo Peninsula also links Medway to the Thames Estuary. The rivers are steeped in history, rich in wildlife, and the Medway is a popular waterway for pleasure trips, watersports and sightseeing.

 

New forklift truck owners – useful information

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We’ve had a few enquiries lately from customers purchasing their first forklift truck so we thought we’d put together some information to help them understand their responsibilities to their employees.

Employers should be aware of the following regulations and guidance (click on the links below for more information):

Approved Code of Practice – L117 Rider Operated Lift Trucks

www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l117.htm

This Approved Code of Practice is issued by the HSE and the link above takes you to a free downloadable version (PDF).  Hard copies are available to purchase via HSE’s online shop.

L117 provides advice to duty holders on how to comply with the law in relation to lift trucks. It provides guidance on operator training, equipment selection, safe use, pedestrian safety, maintenance, etc and is an absolute must-have for any employer to possess and be familiar with, if they have a lift truck on site or are acquiring their first lift truck.

 

 

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 – legislation explained (hse.gov.uk)

LOLER – Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations

www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l113.htm

PUWER – Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations

www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l22.htm

 

The training we provide is accredited with RTITB (www.rtitb.com) and we are governed by the course durations that they set for each truck and course type.  As a guide, below are the course durations for most rider operated lift trucks:

A novice course (for candidates with no prior training and experience) will be 3 days for 1 trainee, 4 days for 2 trainees and 5 days for 3 trainees.

A basic course (for candidates with prior experience but no formal training) will be
3 days for 2-3 trainees or 2 days for 1 trainee.

A conversion course (for candidates that already have a licence on one type of truck but wish to convert to another) will be 2 days for 2-3 trainees or 1 day for 1 trainee.

A refresher course (for a maximum of 3 trainees who have previously been trained and have proof of prior training) will be a 1 day course.

Please note that for all courses, except novice, we will require copies of previous certificates, if available, or written confirmation of previous training or experience (we can e-mail you a form to complete).

For more information on our courses please contact anne@stackerstraining.co.uk or call 0800 024 8084.

An aerial view of Apollo Park, Wroxton, near Banbury

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If you haven’t been to our training centre at Apollo Park, Wroxton, near Banbury you may not know that Apollo Park was built on the former site of the North Oxfordshire Ironstone Company’s headquarters and railway locomotive yards.

The North Oxfordshire Ironstone Company was established in June 1917 after approaches were made by the Ministry of Munitions, who were keen to increase substantially the production of home ore in the English Midlands. The quarries were connected to the main line railway system via a 3.5-mile industrial railway built by German prisoners of war and the quarries grew to become one of the most important single sources of iron ore in Britain. The Wroxton quarries went into liquidation in September 1967, although some workings were sold off and struggled on until c.1978. The scale and importance of the undertaking is shown by the production figures of 40,000 tons of ore per week in 1965, with a total production of 33 million tons over a fifty-year period.

When you enter Apollo Park you will see an Iron Ore Tippler Wagon which has been restored by Apollo as a “respectful nod” to the park’s industrial heritage.

As you will see from the aerial photo below, there is a local playing field adjacent to the site’s north west boundary – otherwise the surrounding area is characterised by open farm land.

For information on the forklift training courses that we can provide at our training centre at Apollo Park, call us at Stackers Training on 0800 024 8084 or e-mail anne@stackerstraining.co.uk

20 Years of the National Operator Registration Scheme (NORS)

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RTITB has recently celebrated 20 years of the National Operator Registration Scheme (NORS) database which verifies and records key lift truck operator training details.

All candidates that we train are registered on the NORS database and provided with an RTITB certificate and/or e-card (depending on requirement).The RTITB trained operators remain on the database for three years. After this time, refresher training must be completed for the operator to remain on the register. This helps to make sure that the operator maintains the relevant skills and knowledge to operate equipment safely.

It is therefore important that trainees fill out the candidate registration forms carefully at the start of their course to ensure we have the current information to submit to RTITB.  Any missing data could mean that their training record cannot be processed and registered onto the NORS database.

For more information on the RTITB NORS scheme, click on the link below:

RTITB’s Lift Truck Operator Training Database Celebrates 20 Years

Training in Daventry

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Last week one of our instructors was training on customer premises in Daventry on their pedestrian reach truck and pedestrian pallet trucks.

In the 18th century Daventry, now just off the M1, was a thriving coaching town, but business dried up after the London and Birmingham Railway opened in 1838, bypassing Daventry.

Grand Georgian coaching inns like the Dun Cow on Brook Street still contribute to Daventry’s townscape, where there’s also a rare Georgian Church and a Moot Hall from 1768, all reflecting the prosperity of the coaching days.

High over the town’s east flank is the 200-metre Borough Hill, capped with prehistoric hillforts, and used by the BBC as a broadcasting station for most of the 20th century.

Our other instructors were working on customer premises in Banbury and Milton Park, Didcot providing novice training on the counterbalance truck and conversion training on the Very Narrow Aisle truck.

For more information on the courses we can provide and course durations call us on
0800 024 8084 or e-mail anne@stackerstraining.co.uk

Pre-use inspection booklets

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We have written previously about the importance of carrying out daily checks:

https://stackerstraining.co.uk/why-is-it-important-for-forklift-operators-to-carry-out-daily-checks/

We have now updated our pre-use check booklets and we have one for rider operated trucks and one for pedestrian trucks.  The booklet should be kept with the truck and once completed, they should be kept for a minimum of 6 months.

Each booklet contains 32 pages so will last just over a month if you are using just one page per day.

The cost of the booklets are £2.75 each plus postage.

Please contact us on 0800 024 8084 to place your order or e-mail supplies@stackerstraining.co.uk

IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING: COLD STARTING LPG TRUCKS AND LPG QUALITY ISSUES

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The UKMHA (UK Material Handling Association) has issued a warning that fork lift truck operators should not over-crank the starter if they are struggling to start up their LPG-powered lift trucks. Repeated starting attempts can present a fire risk.

Whilst investigations into the root cause are ongoing, UKMHA has given specific advice on what to do if the engine of an LPG truck does not start within the normal few seconds.

Click on the link below to read their safety alert:

UKMHA Safety Alert

Also, we have been advised by Linde Material Handling that there have been problems starting LPG trucks in Europe due to the quality of liquid gas that deviates from the usual composition.  The problem can often be attributed to individual gas supplies and is regionally limited.  Companies whose trucks are affected by these starting problems should therefore contact their LPG suppliers regarding a possible change in gas quality.

The undesirable residues in the gas can lead to a failure of the control function of the evaporator.  As a result the gas-air mixture is too rich and starting the engine is not possible.  A repeated start attempt can lead to the escape of unburned liquid gas and thus to the formation of an explosive gas-air mixture, especially in the engine compartment, but also in the immediate vicinity of the truck (radius approximately 3 metres).

For this reason, contrary to the instructions in the operating manual, no further starting attempts must be made on affected trucks if the engine does not start at the first start attempt within the first few seconds.  Under no circumstances may the starting procedure be repeated if the truck does not start within this period.

 In such case:

  • The truck must be secured against further starting attempts.
  • The shut off valve on the gas bottle/tank must be closed.
  • The authorised service partner must be notified and requested to check the LPG system of the truck and repair if necessary.

Linde Material Handling are investigating the issue with urgency and we will pass on further updates as soon as we receive them.

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