Electric Pallet Stacker and Training

[seandudding]

Hi

I have an Electric Pallet Stacker that you need to walk behind, so not ride on. Do I need to get my staff trained / licensed to use it, or are they able to just use it with a few pointers from me??

Cheers Sean

[The jiffle king]

Yes I would train them to use it. Imagine if they have an accident and mention to H&S that they had no training. You can possibly set up your own internal training with accredited trainers, but make sure people sign to say they have recived the training.

T-J-K

[spaximus]

This is a grey area. I recently was trained as a forklift trainer for our company and it was a question we asked at the time. We have only two depots that operate ride on trucks the rest have electric stakers. According to those who sell them, no licence is needed and you only have to provide evidence that they have received training from a "competant" person. This is someone who has received trainig on the unit who can then train others. According to the training organisation (linde who sell us the trucks as well) they are the same as a normal forklift in the need for licencing.

What we do is have a person in each location who gives each operater a lesson on the unit and then makes sure they can manouver and lift safely, they can then operate un supervised. So far this has been acceptable to the H&S on all inspections. I suspect it will only ever be a problem if you have a serious accident with one where the goal posts will maybe change.
The reason we do this option is that to give a full licence you need a ride on truck and then each operater must have 37 hours training on all health and safety issues and be able to perform a set course at the end.

HTH