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Distributors Help End-users Comply With OSHA
End-users have been made aware of the regulation and OSHA inspectors are expected to enforce 29 CFR 1910.178 with a vengeance. Employers, accountable for the enforcement of the regulation, have gone in hot pursuit of qualified professionals to train their operators as well as their own in-house trainers. Through a variety of media, employers have been given a list of suggested requirements for good training programs and professionals, and they have been warned to watch out for training scams.
To help their customers comply with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178, many MHEDA distributors have expanded their offering of lift truck operator training programs. Some have developed intensive operator training courses, as well as Train-the-Trainer programs. Some have hired people specifically to do training; others are using customer service representatives, salesmen and service technicians. One has partnered with an independent trainer, another has hired a former OSHA inspector. Some distributors are training end-users and seeing a large profit—the training program is another product to sell; others are using the service as an additional way to bring customers into the store. In this survey, the cost of training programs to end-users ranges from $50 to $600 per person. Most of the training programs, however, cost less than $100. What does $600 get the customer? A host of goodies including an interactive session with specific pictures of the customer's application to use in the classroom setting. Some distributors increase the cost of the training anywhere from $5 to $25 when all the classes are held at the customer's site. Some offer discounts based on the number of trainees; some forego the cost and use the program as a way to close a deal. Distributors have discovered that lift truck operator training is a topic that can be very dry. Some report feeling like the high school's "substitute teacher" on a Friday afternoon in the spring, and they've developed ways to keep interest high and attention at a peak. Many have made specific plans for liability exposure. Some have none at all. All distributors have relied on their equipment manufacturers' training programs and packages. Following is the lowdown on trainers, class size, challenges, and hints for finding customers and developing programs.... Two experienced trainers offer operator training on every brand of truck to Berry Material Handling, Inc. (Wichita, KS) customers, in class sizes of eight to ten participants. General Manager Joe L. Wilson says the biggest challenge is interpreting the regulation. "While the regulation does not change, the interpretation seems to, depending on who is asked." Wilson uses the example of users being trained on their own equipment at their own site, or similar equipment at the distributor's site. "This question elicits various responses, and we've been unable to get a clear answer." "Operator safety training is a very important issue. If the customer's environment and culture acknowledge that safety is critical, then what is spent for training is a drop in the bucket," says Gerald Rogers, executive vice president, Manchester Industries, Inc. (Manchester, PA). The company has had a strong training program for some time, and its reputation is so high that some competitors have been spotted in the audience. Four customer service reps, along with a supervisor, work to develop presentations that are interesting and helpful. Rogers says, "The trainer recognizes that the students' employers pay a lot of money for them to be in the class; he makes sure they don't go to sleep." Initial seminars were held to increase customer awareness about the OSHA regulation, which resulted in many training opportunities. Rogers expects that re-training will create additional opportunities, as will the need to train college students hired for summer work. Employers continue to be notified of the requirement that every operator must have training. At GB Sales & Service (Plymouth, MI), the trainer is a former service technician. He attended training classes specifically to learn how to teach operator training classes. President Gregory Blackwood says, "Customers are now more interested in hearing about the program; they had some resistance a few months ago." Salespeople and technicians receive incentives for signing up trainees. Blackwood, however, still finds that direct mail produces the best results. A minimum of five trainees are in a class; average size is eight. Kevin Tam, vice president, Hawthorne Lift Systems, Inc. (San Diego, CA), brought back two retired employees to be part-time instructors in his facility. Two additional salespeople do the training at the customer's site. Both part-time instructors have many years of experience with equipment. Tam says, "We are not doing the training to be profitable. Right now, it is more of a courtesy to our customers. The program brings the customer into our facility, where new equipment can be seen and used." The trainers are recognizing that many customers are more concerned about meeting the equipment-specific part of the regulation, not the environment or site-specific side. Class size ranges from eight to ten trainees at Hawthorne Lift Systems; 16 at the customer's site. Joyce Schwob, general manager, Jamestown Industrial Trucks, Inc. (Frewsburg, NY), initially presented a forum for companies to get more information about the OSHA regulation. Advertised in the newspaper, the session attracted representatives from over 50 local businesses who came to hear the specifics and to learn about Jamestown Industrial Trucks' training program. The information session was repeated twice. Since then, several operator training classes have been held, as well as Train-the-Trainer programs. Classroom training accommodates 45 students; no more than 15 in the hands-on training session. Three equipment salespeople teach the training sessions. Schwob says, "This has not turned out to be the best situation. While training has increased, equipment sales have suffered because of the amount of time invested by salespeople." The company is in the process of hiring someone to provide full-time training. Prior to his retirement, the trainer at Lift Power, Inc. (Jacksonville, FL) had worked in the material handling industry for 30 years, first as a manufacturer's regional representative and then as a salesperson at Lift Power. Paul Mohrman, president, recognized a good situation when he saw one. "John Wood wanted to stay involved with the industry, he knows a lot about the equipment, he is very detail oriented, and he can train operators. We hired him back to handle the operator training program." Wood conducts classes for one to 28 students. Lift Power's salespeople promote the training service to customers. Great Lakes Power Lift (Warren, MI) salespeople provide operator training classes to customers. In addition to manufacturer-provided training, the salespeople received formal training from Michigan's OSHA office. Dennis Dmytryk, vice president, has come across many end-users who still have not met the requirements. "The December 1 deadline has come and gone, and many users are just beginning to formulate their plans." Great Lakes advertises its training program to new, existing and past customers. Classes range from eight to 10 students. "The biggest challenge for our trainers is that every customer with a third shift wants their operators trained on the third shift," says T. Patrick Duncan, vice president, Carter Machinery Company, Inc. (Ashland, VA). "That's not always feasible." Class size ranges from 10 to 15 students. However, if the customer's site can accommodate a large group, trainers will work with up to 30 students. Sales reps market the training programs, but have noticed more customers initiating requests. Duncan says, "Most people are doing their best to meet the regulation. They are aware of the need, but are still unclear about who can do the training, who can't, and what the qualifications are." "Train-the-Trainer classes have increased since the regulation went into effect," says David Schneckenburger, president, Thompson & Johnson Equipment Co., Inc. (East Syracuse, NY), "and this part of our business is experiencing much growth." The company's nine salespeople advertise the program on sales calls, although Schneckenburger is seeing an increase in training requests for trucks not sold by Thompson & Johnson. Two trainers teach classes with an average size of eight students. One trainer had been a mechanic, the other a customer service representative. "They both showed aptitude for being able to stand in front of a crowd and impart information in an interesting way. This is an important skill for a trainer to have. Students lose attention or doze off, and the trainer must be able to handle these situations." "The government handed us a gift by giving us the opportunity to create this market," says Jim Ripkey, vice president/general manager, Hy-Tek Material Handling, Inc. (Columbus, OH). Marketed by Hy-Tek's salespeople, the one-day training class is booked several months in advance. Companies are able to offset some of the training costs by sharing the instructor for the basic training and testing. Ripkey says, "This has been a very popular addition to our training offerings; many operators appreciate the opportunity to interact with operators from other companies to exchange information." The client also has a better opportunity to attend the training session, instead of waiting for it to take place at their site. Says Ripkey, "We can get more throughput of people. If we did training for one company at a time, customers would have a long period of waiting." The course continues later at each client's site for application-specific training. Two full-time trainers—one in the industry for 18 years, the other for 10—teach the classes. Richmond Industrial Trucks, Inc. (Richmond, IN) uses one trainer, who also works as a salesperson. He has been with the company for 10 years, so his knowledge of the equipment is vast. Classes are offered for one person all the way up to 40, and advertising is done through flyers, the company newsletter and during sales calls. Larry Crye, president/owner, has seen evidence of companies using the regulation as a way to sell some unnecessary features. "The word 'OSHA' can have a way of frightening people, and along with training, some companies are selling items marketed as safety equipment. Sometimes this equipment is not needed, and by no means is a part of the regulation." While training programs have been offered for five years, Peter Voss, Jr., operations manager, Voss Equipment, Inc. (Harvey, IL), has seen a dramatic increase during the past year. Four product support reps provide the training for classes of no more than 15 students, and a portion of their compensation is based on the number of trainees they sign up. "This has created more business," says Voss. "We must make sure our own trainers thoroughly understand the regulation and are doing a complete job." To do this, Voss utilized MHEDA's February training seminar as well as the manufacturer's training package. Although the cost of training is minimal, more and more customers are demanding that the training be provided as part of their purchase agreement. "We will include the training if we need it to close the deal, but the purchase must be for at least three trucks." At Piedmont Clarklift, Inc. (Greenville, SC), one trainer works with end-users. The trainer, who also works in the service department and has other job responsibilities, received instruction from an OSHA representative in a course at the state office. President Jerry Prince says, "Class size varies. We don't take less than five or more than 25 students at a time." The course is advertised via flyers and telemarketing. For David Rizzo, president of A.J. Jersey, Inc. (South Plainfield, NJ), the biggest challenge his four trainers have is timing. "Many customers want training, but there is only a limited amount of time." A repeated experience occurs on the day of the actual training when the trainer walks in to discover the customer has changed the agreed-upon specifics of the training. "The customer agrees on 30 operators in the room and when our trainer arrives, there are 50 operators in the room. It's less expensive for the customer to have 50 in the room, but it certainly is not effective." The company's customer service manager is a master trainer certified by the New Jersey Safety Council. He supervises three customer service representatives who also were trained by the Council. Rizzo notes that the trainers must be very knowledgeable and have the ability to handle groups of people. "Many of the operators attend the classes on their day off. They're not thrilled to be there and the trainer must be ready to deal with that." Of all the companies interviewed, Space Maker Systems of MD, Inc. (Baltimore, MD) has it made! The full-time trainer who was hired last summer is a former OSHA inspector, who came with a good amount of experience and credentials. President Hobb Santel believes the service is an important one to provide to his customers. "Maryland has recently experienced an increase of OSHA inspections, and users are being cited for violations." This has given momentum to the operator training program and Space Maker Systems' customers are eager to have their operators trained. The company's 12 salespeople talk about the program and Point of Sale Handouts have proven very effective. Ten to 12 trainees attend class at Space Maker; at the customer's site, class size depends on the facility. Eight customer service representatives fulfill the duties of trainer at Inland Material Handling, Inc. (Appleton, WI). All have experience with lift truck equipment. According to President William Hoeck, peak training activity occurred in September and October 1999, as end-users prepared for the December 1 deadline. "Opportunities for re-training and re-assessing will be available, but I think activity will stabilize." A challenge to Inland's training program is finding a place to do hands-on driver training. "Doing it outside in Wisconsin during the cold winter months has not been ideal." Class size ranges from one to 25 trainees. At Cardinal Carryor, Inc. (Louisville, KY), Ben Brumleve, president/GM, acknowledges that the training program is a necessary part of being a "full service material handling dealer." Brumleve wants to grow this department but is also keeping data on how many customers are returning for refresher courses. "Our purpose is not to make a killing in profits; it is to increase driver safety and help our customers comply with the OSHA regulation. Cardinal Carryor's trainer previously worked in the Customer Service Department and works hard to make the classes interesting. Says Brumleve, "We recently made a video about the company. We watched it together and critiqued each other's presentation style. Needless to say, some have improved their performance after watching themselves." Stuart Thompson, vice president of operations, Garrison Service Company (Nashville, TN), took some employees to an independent trainer's interactive session. "We liked him and decided to partner with him and outsource our training needs." The company is a single source supplier, so everything goes through Garrison Service Company. "We want to position ourselves with our customers to help them gain a return on their investment. Our trainer is solid, knowledgeable, and knows how to train." Prior to the classroom training, the trainer visits the end-user's site with a digital camera. Pictures of the application are used in the classroom training session for discussion, reinforcing learning modules with known examples. Up to 15 students are in a class. |
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By the time you read this, OSHA Training Regulation 29 CFR 1910.178 Powered Industrial Truck Operator Training will have been in full effect for several months. The regulation states that by December 1, 1999, all powered industrial truck operators must have been trained to operate the type of truck or trucks they operate on the job and in the environments they work. Operators must have been evaluated and certified by a qualified person. Operators hired after December 1, 1999 must be trained and evaluated before being allowed to operate the truck.
