Choosing the right lift truck instructor training

In some businesses, forklift operators are trained by ‘instructors’ who are no more than an ‘experienced’ operator that may never have been properly trained, and may have picked up bad habits along the way. This lack of diligence compromises safety and could have serious repercussions for employers in the event of an incident.

However, legal compliance is just one good reason for employers to deliver quality instructor training, rather than cutting corners. With benefits to businesses, such as damage avoidance, reduced costs and increased productivity, many organisations understand that investment in training lift truck instructors correctly is essential.

But how can employers identify legally complaint, top quality training? Here are 4 key questions to ask.

What is the course content?

Look closely at the course content - it should never just be a case of ticking the compliance box. Instead, employers should look for instructor training that will result in lift truck operators being trained to give the very best performance and ask, is the course material thorough and relevant to your business?

For example, the RTITB Lift Truck Instructor course not only includes principles of instruction but training in the wide range of skills needed to be an exceptional instructor and how to administer basic operating skills tests. Plus, those on the course are assessed on an ongoing basis by their trainer, and their peers, to genuinely acquire skills, rather than just learning the right answers for an end of course exam.

How is it assessed?

Attending an instructor course doesn’t ensure that someone becomes an expert trainer so find out how assessment is conducted. Look for training that includes an independent, impartial examination at the end of the course, rather than a simple classroom test signed off by the course trainer.

Selecting a training provider based on a high pass rate is also no guarantee of quality - if a qualification pass rate sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Not all people will have the individual strengths and skills to become an instructor. The national pass rate for the RTITB Instructor course is indicative of this, whereas unfeasibly high pass rates may simply indicate lower assessment standards. 

How will the instructors run their courses?

If they have completed the correct training and gained a recognised qualification, lift truck instructors should be able to plan, prepare and implement high quality operator training. However, this can involve a lot of administration – often a hidden cost to businesses. Employers should look for a training course that equips instructors with the most efficient way of managing and administering training.

Could you train your trainers in-house?

An outsourced instructor training solution is right for some, but for other having in-house resource to train your own lift truck instructors can offer benefits. In-house training allows employers to ensure that their own standards are maintained and to instil the company ethos into Instructors.  

With instructors trained in house, employers can also support operational standards and compliance by keeping their instructors up to date on current legislation. 

To support businesses that wish to develop an in-house instructor training resource, RTITB can develop bespoke course materials that uphold rigorous quality standards. This helps assure employers that adequate training, assessment and examination are in place when Instructors are being trained in-house.

Find out more about the RTITB Instructor Academy - visit www.rtitb.co.uk/academy