Due to continuing expansion we have the following career opportunity for either an existing fork lift truck instructor or an experienced operator who would like to become a qualified instructor. This is an outstanding opportunity for reliable mature individuals with the right levels of experience who are looking to work with a progressive and forward thinking company.

Fork Lift Trainer / Operator

• Proven experience in operating fork lift trucks
• The ability to instruct and inspire delegates
• Willingness to travel to undertake training courses
• The ability to use your own initiative

This key position will be based from home and offers a highly competitive income package, excellent working conditions and career progression.

Applications in writing to J Clifford-Daves, FTT Limited, Glen Farm, Monmouth Way, Honiton, Devon EX14 2GY or by email to james@FTTonline.com

As Driver CPC regulations state, new HGV licence holders will be required to register their qualification with the Driving Standards Agency also and as a result, must have both their HGV licence and Driver Qualification Card in their possession. In order to ensure that this compliance is met, VOSA will be conducting routine roadside checks, with a £30 fine being issued to those who do not comply.

The offence will also be followed up with the driver’s operating company. Although the current £30 fine may seem small to some, there is a strong belief that this penalty will increase in severity once the first 5-year training cycle ends in September 2014.This penalty mirrors the thoughts of Logistics’ Minister, Mike Penning’s belief that regulations must be adhered to and punishments should be given to those who do not abide.

The recession has had a massive impact on the industry which in many cases has caused business owners to make some ruthless budgetary cuts. Training, in particular refresher training, can be regarded by some to be an area of their business they can affordably abandon. Costing from as little as £60 per candidate, refresher training is a small expenditure but many opt to disregard this with disastrous and costly effects.

Investing in refresher training is beneficial for both employees and employers alike. For an employer, this investment can help you to comply with Workplace Transport Safety: An Employer’s Guide (HSG136), paragraph 651, which suggests that refresher training is considered every 3-5 years.

For an employee, refresher training can ensure that their skills and abilities are kept at the required, safe level. As an employer, removing this area of an operator’s development could incur huge costs as a result of damaged stock, downtime due to injuries or in more severe cases, even the death of an individual. In these instances, these costs could be within the region of £10,000s and in some cases could even result in the closure of your business.

The message here is clear: cutting corners will not help you to cut costs. Not only will the elimination of refresher training greatly put the safety of your workers at risk, but may also put the future of your business in jeopardy. The question is simple: is it really worth the risk?

http://www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/personnel/refreshertraining.htm

COUNTRYSTYLE Recycling Ltd of Lenham, near Maidstone, Kent, have been fined £10,000 after a teenage worker with a promising career in motocross had his foot broken by a 16-tonne loading shovel.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the recycling firm for failing to operate a safe system of working at their Park Farm Close site, in Folkestone.

Maidstone Magistrates’ Court heard that on 22 February 2010, Daniel Brown (19) was sorting waste at the recycling plant when a tyre of a 16-tonne loading shovel ran over his right foot, breaking 16 bones.

Mr Brown is still suffering with pain and arthritis and has had to give up a possible career in Motocross, having won races at national level and negotiated a potential sponsorship package. He cannot learn to drive for his car licence and has not been able to return to work.

The HSE investigation found there was no system in operation to ensure moving vehicles and pedestrians were segregated. Employees were simply told verbally to stay clear of manoeuvring vehicles.

An Improvement Notice was issued by HSE at an early stage of the investigation to segregate vehicles and pedestrians.

At the time of the incident it was raining and the windscreen wipers on the loading shovel were inoperative. The heater in the cab was broken so the windows tended to steam up, reducing visbility. The shovel also had a broken wing mirror, no reversing lights, no reversing CCTV or convex mirror and would not always go into gear. Moreover, a screwdriver was used to start it and the roof beacon and lights would regularly blow bulbs.

Speaking after the prosecution, HSE Inspector Stephen Green said: ‘The injured worker was lucky not to be killed as a result of this incident, which could have easily been avoided if the long list of failures with this vehicle and systems had been addressed earlier.

‘The HSE has plenty of helpful guidance that could have been followed, and if the company had implemented a safe system of work, segregating moving vehicles from pedestrians, then a young man wouldn’t have broken a bone for every tonne of weight that rolled over his foot – 16 in total. There is no excuse for not having a safe system of work in place.’

Countrystyle Recycling Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 in relation to the incident. They were fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £6,221 in costs.

A WEST Midlands firm has been fined £8,000 after a teenage worker’s arm was amputated after being crushed during the demolition of the old Grand Cinema in Ramsey town centre, in Cambridgeshire.

Nineteen-year-old Thomas Bird was working as a labourer for UK Demolition Services Ltd at cinema site on 17 March 2010. He was loading debris into the selector grab of a hydraulic excavator when it swung round and hit him, crushing his right arm against the building.

Mr Bird was airlifted to hospital but surgeons were unable to save his arm and it was amputated below the elbow.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found the operator of the excavator had failed to switch off the ignition when he left the driver’s seat. He lifted the side arm located by the driver’s seat but, while getting out of the vehicle, caught his coat on the side arm. This pulled the side arm back down, which in turn engaged the hydraulic power and allowed the excavator boom to swing into Mr Bird.

Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court was told that the firm had failed to put in place arrangements to ensure construction plant did not inadvertently move and put ground workers at risk of being struck.

Walsall-based UK Demolition Services Ltd admitted two breaches of health and safety legislation: Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974; and Regulation 37(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. They were fined £4,000 for each breach and ordered to pay £3,500 costs.

HSE Inspector John Berezansky said: ‘Construction work including working around and near machinery is a high-risk activity with significant numbers of major and fatal injuries.

‘Implementing appropriate standards with good planning, communication, training and co-operation is essential. In this case the defendant failed to put these arrangements in place, including following the manufacturer’s own guidance in respect of preventing the excavator from moving inadvertently.

‘As a result of these failings, Thomas Bird will now have to live and manage the rest of his life with the use of only one arm.’

Under conditions of the DfT’s 10-year trial of longer trailers, all specifications must adhere to the current turning circle requirements to ensure maneuverability and safety on the UK road network.

After two days of extensive testing the complete range of SDC high volume trailers were approved by the VCA as meeting the requirements of the physical turning circle provision. UK hauliers that have been allocated licences to take part in the trial can now come to SDC to get their hands on some of the first environmentally friendly trailers.

There are currently 70 longer trailers under production at SDC and the company has a number of demonstration trailers available.

SDC has received approved for the following five longer trailers:

• 14.65m self-steer rated for 44 tonnes
• 15.65m self-steer rated for 44 tonnes
• 15.65m single Tri Dec command steer rated for 44 tonnes
• 15.65m single Muldoon command steer rated for 44 tonnes
• 15.65m twin Tri Dec command steer rated for 44 tonnes

The first SDC longer trailer took to the roads as part of Eddie Stobart’s fleet, making the first-ever delivery in the UK.