Grennell's offers forklift training

Sheldon Williams, Sunday Gleaner Writer

With a number of persons from the automotive sector being recruited for overseas markets, especially Canada, late last year, Grennell's Driving School facilitated an internationally certified forklift operation training workshop.

At the end of the two-day workshop, held at Grennell's Mona Road, St Andrew, facility, 26 forklift operators were certified in practical and theoretical manoeuvres, with an emphasis on safety. The training was conducted by Dr Wellesley Scott, director of consulting services at the National Safety Council in the United States, assisted by Cassandra Dillon, also of the US.

Alphanso Grennell, who initiated the project, said: "I realised that there is a need. There is no one else offering this type of training for people to be certified … . I realised that safety was a factor, because in most cases, persons just learn from others who they see operating a forklift. And if they are not trained, the bad habits of the persons they learned from would be transferred. And so we decided to start something that ensured that international standards are met and practised."

He said the trainees came from companies such as the National Water Commission, Kier Construction, and Industrial Gases Limited (IGL). There were also independent applicants.

"Participants were given a fairly comprehensive forklift-operator guide that covered all the essentials of the safe and efficient operation of the forklift," Grennell said.

TAUGHT ABOUT PARTS

The participants were required to know about the forklift's parts and guidelines for use.

Grennell said: "They were required to know about the nameplate - that is a plate that tells you the maximum weight the forklift can lift - because it can tilt and flip. And we look at the physics of transporting the load, so we talked about the centre of gravity in proportion to the weight you are lifting. So if the centre of gravity falls out of a certain point, the forklift will flip."

Participants were also taught the proper procedure for loading and transporting cargo.

"We showed them how to lower their fork. When they leave their forklifts, the fork should not be up in the air but down on the ground, so it doesn't hurt anybody. We also looked at how to pick up the load. We also looked at where you should place load, and how to transport stuff from one shelf to the next," Grennell said.

Visibility was also emphasised, "because at no time you should be moving in a direction that you can't see".

The forklift operators were required to work in a standardised environment.

"We also set up a course to see how the persons execute a 90-degree and 360-degree turn of the forklift, because it is steered from the back and not the front, so it has a greater turn angle than a car or a van. Also, the weight of a forklift is much heavier than a regular motor vehicle," Grennell further explained.

The successful forklift operators were awarded an international certificate from the National Safety Council.

Grennell's Driving School's next forklift-training exercise will be held in the week of February 24. Registration ends on January 31.