Introduction
Contents
Forklift training: saving you money
If you think about it, to operate a forklift or other lifting equipment is more complicated than driving a car, yet most would pale at the thought of the operator of their forklift moving their car for them!
By law, lifting equipment operators have to have a certificate of training. They have to do a five day course initially, and thereafter they can be tested and renew their certificate at a maximum of every two years.
When they do the course, operators usually spend the first day learning how the machine works and why they have to do the checks properly. If you did not realise what the fan belt did, would you bother to check it regularly? By the time they have done this, they probably are more aware of the engine and how it works than most car drivers. This is usually the biggest saving any company can see directly – their machine maintenance bill.
Coupled with this is the practical training. Four days, is not a lot when you have never driven a forklift, and now have to operate in 4 directions – forward, backwards, up and down! The operator is generally also in a much tighter space than the average car driver. So much wear and tear can be avoided if the operator drives carefully and safely. This is another big cost saving for the employer.
Think, on the farm, how dust can affect the machines that are not cared for properly. How, during the season, you are in a real hurry to get trucks loaded and out to market. Surely you want this to happen smoothly. I use a fan belt as an example. Surely it is quicker to change a worn fan belt before it breaks, than to hold up a vehicle for loading while you go to town, get a fan belt (if there is one in stock) and then have to change it. Hopefully your engine has not seized because the operator, in a hurry, did not see his generator light come on on the dashboard! If the generator light is working that is!
We strongly recommend that all supervisors, and in fact anyone who has authority over the forklift operators, attends a forklift management seminar to ensure that they know what to expect of their operators and know how to keep them in line. If they do not do this, the money they spend on the training is really the equivalent of “buying a licence” which so many companies wish they could do!
Save money. Have your forklift operators and their managers trained by a reputable training company.
Source: Des Fell, Accredited Training.
Role players
Companies involved
- A2 Square Forklift Tel: 011 900 1777 www.forklift.co.za
- Avant SA Tel: 021 851 0722 / 21 www.avantsa.co.za
- AVIS Forklift Centre Tel: 011 397 1784 www.avisforklift.co.za
- Barloworld BayWa/UTILEV Tel: 011 898 0100 www.utilev.co.za
- Bell Equipment Tel: 035 907 9431 www.bellequipment.com
- BIDVest Materials Tel: 011 397 0500 www.bidvestforklifts.co.za
- BPI Manufacturing Tel: 056 515 1066 http://bpim.co.za/
- CedarVest Tel: 021 975 9084 http://cedarvest.com
- Criterion Equipment Tel: 011 966 9700 www.criterion.co.za
- Dicla Equipment Tel: 011 662 1371 www.dicla.com
- Feeler Africa Tel: 011 979 0131 http://feelerafrica.co.za
- Goscor Tel: 010 594 4339 www.goscorlifttrucks.co.za
- Grogo Nywerhede Tel: 082 801 4676 www.grogro.co.za
- Jaytrade Tel: 021 385 1652 www.jaytrade.co.za
- JCB Excavators www.jcb.com/en-za/agriculture
- Kanna Industries Tel: 021 010 0707 www.kannaindustries.co.za
- Liftpart Agencies Tel: 021 531 7225 www.liftpart.co.za
- Linde Material Handling South Africa Tel: 011 723 7000 www.linde-mh.co.za
- Machine Tool Mecc (JAC products) Tel: 011 894 7160/7084 www.jacsa.co.za
- Manitou Tel: 011 975 7770 www.manitou.co.za
- Masslift Africa/Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks Tel: 011 786 8524 www.mitsubishiforklifts.co.za
- Michigan Equipment Tel: 087 170 0977 http://michigan.co.za
- Myburg Toerusting Tel: 082 417 0175 www.mtoer.co.za
- Shamrock Handling Concepts Tel: 011 953 6806 www.shamrockhandling.co.za
- Southtrade Tel: 021 981 6044 www.southtrade.co.za
- The Forkman (Tailift) Tel: 012 804 2383 www.forkman.co.za
- Toyota/EQSTRA Tel: 011 571 0200 www.toyotaforklift.co.za
- VB Agri Tel: 021 883 9595 www.vbagri.co.za
- Wuhlf Tel: 0861 782547 www.wuhlf.co.za
Training
The Transport Education Training Authority (TETA) is the relevant SETA. See https://teta.org.za.
- Accredited Training Tel: 021 853 4194 www.accreditedtraining.co.za
- Cranes Training Tel: 073 851 9937 http://cranestraining.com
- H&L Training School Tel: 060 921 3139 www.hltraining.co.za
- Premier Pork Producers Tel: 012 361 3920
- SafeTech Tel: 0860 723 389 www.healthandsafetytrainingsa.co.za
- Shukela Training Centre Tel: 031 508 7700 www.sasa.org.za
- VR Training www.vrtraining.co.za