MOL Blitz on Lift Trucks

February 5, 2010 on 12:41 pm | In MOL | Comments Off

The MOL has just announced their monthly blitz for February regarding a focus on lift trucks.

They will check for inspection and maintenance records, that this equipment is being operated by “well trained employees” and that it is being used in a “safe work environment”.

 Just what does this mean?

1. You should have annual inspection records of your lifting equipment available and have the provider’s stickers clearly identified on the masts of the trucks, including the date of inspection (must be dated within the last 12 months). Maintenance records should be up to date, whether you perform this work in-house on an “as required basis” or if you have an outside provider perform this work as a Preventative Maintenance Program.
2. Training records must be up to date. The current standard CSA B335-04 requires that training and retraining must be conducted every 3-years and as well a practical evaluation of the operator’s driving skills performed at the 18-month interval. We would interpret the MOL’s use of the phrase “well trained employees” to include the selection and use of a competent, proven, third party provider as opposed to in-house training. Also that workplace specific rules for the operation of lift trucks be in place and that these are being enforced by supervisory staff knowledgeable in the safe operating practices and procedures.
3. What constitutes a “safe working environment”? In reality there is no such thing as a “safe working environment”, there is and always will be a risk, however employers are expected to make every attempt to reduce the risk to a more tolerable level. The tool used to accomplish this is “Hazard Assessment”. We would therefore suggest that you are able to demonstrate that you have performed a hazard assessment of your facility, in particular to all areas to which lift trucks have access. As well a hazard assessment of the lift truck operator’s job position such as a “Job Task Analysis” or a “Job Safety Analysis” should be completed. This process will identify the hazards, rate these hazards for severity and make recommendations to implement specific control measures. These measures will reduce or eliminate any hazards, in particular those rated as being major and moderate, to a more tolerable and acceptable risk level. The end result is “Safe Operating Procedures” for these operators. Without these SOP’s how can these workers be held accountable?

We can be of assistance to you!

Although we do not perform the required annual inspections and preventative maintenance we can make recommendations for a qualified third party provider.

We certainly can provide the training your operators need, please click on our lift truck on our Home page for more information.

We can also assist you in the hazard assessment process and the development of SOP’s.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information and assistance. We wish all of you success with any MOL visit now or in the future.