The RTITB Instructor Academy has launched a new Assessor course to help employers cost effectively check whether lift truck operators have the correct training and skills to work safely in their business.
The new Lift Truck or MHE (Materials Handling Equipment) Operator Assessor course enables employers to acquire in-house skills and knowledge for assessing and reporting on an operator’s abilities, without the need to invest in training staff as Lift Truck Instructors.
Qualified Operator Assessors will be able to conduct pre-employment assessment, return to work after absence assessment, ongoing periodic assessment (between refresher training), post-incident assessment and post-near miss assessment and create appropriate, compliant records of all assessments that have taken place.
“Although Lift Truck Instructors can deliver effective assessments, Instructor training is a significant investment for businesses who are only looking to assess skills, and not deliver in-house training,” says Simon Docherty, Manager at the RTITB Instructor Academy, the only dedicated centre in the UK and Ireland for LGV and Lift Truck Instructor Training.
“Now, employers can train an MHE Operator Assessor in half the time of an Instructor and for a lower cost,” Simon continues. “This makes the best use of the training budget while ensuring they have an Assessor on hand to review an operator’s skill level before employing them or issuing an authorisation to operate.”
The new course, which can be delivered at the RTITB Instructor Academy in Telford, or on customer premises, over 5 days for up to 4 people, will cover relevant regulations, health and safety, MHE assessment procedures and how to assess all key elements of materials handling equipment operation, including pre-use inspection, practical driving and associated knowledge.
To ensure Assessors can support training auditing and compliance needs effectively, candidates will be trained on the correct use of operator test marking sheets and report writing. The course has also been designed to cover assessments required for different reasons, whether periodical driving, truck defect or accident assessments.
Importantly, to pass the new Operator Assessor course, participants will be required to successfully complete a three-part examination consisting of a basic operator skills test, an associated knowledge multiple choice theory paper, and the delivery of an assessment of practical operating ability.
This course content has been developed by the RTITB Instructor Academy and reviewed and accredited by the preferred workplace transport training regulatory body RTITB, supporting employers in upholding consistently high training standards throughout their business, and across the industry.
“Achieving an RTITB Assessor qualification is something to be truly proud of and will also enable employers to offer a worthwhile professional development opportunity to their skilled and valued operators,” says Simon. “What’s more, candidates who successfully complete the course are eligible to be part of the renowned RTITB Register of Professional Instructors & Assessors – reinforcing their credentials to any future employer.”
The new training course is one of a wide range from the RTITB Instructor Academy which has been specially developed to help businesses maximise their Return on Investment on training.
For more information on the Lift Truck Assessor course, visit www.rtitb.co.uk/academy/lift-truck-assessor or call +44 (0)1952 520214.
