3 Undeniable Reasons That PIT Instructor Training Should Be Considered Essential to Your Operation
#TraintheTrainer #FofkliftTraining #LiftTruckTraining #SupervisorTraining #OSHA1910.178
The importance of effective PIT training is far too often dismissed. When it comes to operator training and certification, misconceptions are common and made up mostly of who can and should do training, what proper training is, and what OSHA had intended by mandating this training in 1910.178 and the General Duty Clause.
The best alleviation for confusion & inadequate training is understanding. To help develop a working level of knowledge, the following benefits of FTS Instructor Training will be highlighted for examination in the order they are listed.
Develops Long Term Awareness (Discovery)
Expands the Capacity For Leadership (Development)
Unifies the Organization (Direction)
1. Develops Long Term Awareness (Discovery)
GENERAL DUTY CLAUSE
(1) shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees;
Transformation is from the top down, not from the bottom up. Awareness is the goal of any training of this type, behavior changes shortly after, and eventually a culture of protection. Training is done to incite behavior, and regarding forklift operations, that primarily means habits.
Awareness drives habits and that truth is obvious to the trained eye. Exhibit A in this case is when a forklift operator puts his hand where it can get crushed or mangled, or when a pedestrian stands next to a forklift in operation. If people do something that could cause them serious bodily harm or death, and it is because they are not thinking about it, that is an absence of awareness. Many might say, “But they know about it,” or “They have been trained”, so aren’t they aware? The answer to that is, no, they are not aware. If they were, they would have habits to show it.
Awareness is not just knowing about forklifts and possible accidents; it is a deep understanding of the real consequences of the accident that could. If there is a healthy level of awareness, then the bad habits in a forklift operation will be the exception and not the norm. Therefore, to make the right protective habits the norm, then they must be developed corporately, from the top. At least from the supervisor level.
This is because habits drive the numbers that decide the possibility of an accident. Like many things in life, daily habits make us who we are, define our culture, and determine the risk level of a forklift operation.
Habits are the primary cause of hazards in forklift operations, according to my opinion. Therefore, our habits, another word for behavior, must be formed to cultivate a culture of protection for hazards to be eliminated.
If habits are going to change, which means a behavior change, then inevitably ownership of the culture must be assumed, and that is called responsibility. Responsibility is the beginning of awareness, and awareness is the beginning of change.
Taking ownership drives awareness of responsibility, and being responsible is the key to keeping someone else from showing up, like OSHA, and being responsible for you.
2. Expands the capacity for leadership (Development)
“Leveling up” is neither an accident nor something you wake up and do. It is intentional and the process through which it happens is called personnel development. Setting goals is also important, however, developing a “growth-oriented mindset” means that goals are just checkpoints to bring the overall vision to fruition.
That takes us to the next critical point, and that is the necessary vision that is missing from many forklift operations today. The lack of vision is why many who work in forklift operations feel exhausted from shadowboxing in an environment of malaise. This lack of vision is caused directly by the inability to formulate one.
Instructor Training highlights the need for an organizational vision. Having a vision opens the door for the direction to bring it to bear. However necessary an end game is needed, the only way one is formulated is if;
- Someone Understands the Need to Have One
- Someone Understands How to Formulate One
Understanding the need for a workable Vision is part of the Discovery process. The ability to formulate a vision comes after the process of Assessment (Pre-Accident Investigation) is understood and practiced. Formulating a vision comes from knowing where the operation is relative to where it needs to go.
It is important to understand the dichotomy of where the operation “needs to go” vs “needs to be”. The “need to go” is an action that never has an end, while the “needs to be” is more destination oriented. Nothing kills intentionality like arriving, & when it comes to Mastery, arrival never happens. Therefore, the foundation that is built through the process of Mastery is held intact for the long term when a growth mindset is kept throughout the operation which incites a constant expansion of leadership capacity, and the necessary transition through the levels of leadership.
As the individual capacity to lead grows, the organization transitions through the levels of leadership.
3. Unifies the Organization (Direction)
GENERAL DUTY CLAUSE (b)Each employee shall comply with occupational safety and health standards and all rules, regulations, and orders issued pursuant to this Act which are applicable to his own actions and conduct.
Most do not realize that there is a part “b” to the General Duty Clause. As you can see in the above, it pertains to the responsibility of the employee. That is OSHA’s way of saying that it is the job of employers to train employees in their responsibilities. And that is what awareness is all about, and it is required.
As mentioned previously, organizational malaise is exhausting, and it is also divisive. Division happens due to the lack of leadership because there is no “page” to be on, so people tend to make their page. Then there are multiple pages with overlapping bad habits.
Leadership and development is the way to get everyone on the same page. When everyone is on the same page, there is only one page and no room for malaise. No malaise, no chaos, no confusion, and no more exhaustion. That is the gift of unity.
But notice that unity is the last of the topics in this article. That is because it only happens after developing a workable vision and then engaging in and grinding out the process of bringing that vision to fruition. It is not glorious, exciting, or usually fun, but it is fulfilling. Not only is it fulfilling but it is also required.
With that said, other notable benefits of a unified operation, that often go unnoticed are things like lower turnover, increased efficiency, lower cost of ownership, & increased bottom line. This is because everything rises and falls on leadership. A divided house cannot stand, but a unified house stands strong.
Thank you for reading, & I hope you receive the intended benefits of this article to help you in your quest for improvement.
