“The only thing that is constant is change.” – Heraclitus
Think about how much the industry has changed since you started. No matter when that was, there have been technological, procedural and safety improvements that you need to keep ahead of or else you are in danger of getting passed up by individuals who are more adaptable to change.
This is why keeping your training programs up to date is so important.
Safety training, of course, is the most important educational module to stay up to date with. The more forklifts change and new technologies are implemented, the more important safety procedures and new processes become. Preventing accidents, in addition to the obvious benefit, also saves money. It allows your facility to continue to operate without costly investigations and keeps your staff humming along at full capacity. Keeping your employees up to date on new procedures and training is a must.
Your forklift operators, of course, must be trained on the exact unit they will be operating while on the job- and if they are going to drive another type of lift they must train on that unit as well. What some business don’t realize is that if there is a reportable incident or accident, that operator must repeat his/her training before operating a forklift again.
In addition, while keeping your forklift operators up to date on new equipment, policies and procedures is of utmost importance- keeping the warehouse employees who are working around the forklift educated matters as well. They must understand the role the forklift and its operator play in the day-to-day operations of your facility and must know the safety procedures inside and out as well.
Finally, technology and equipment continue to change at a lightning-fast pace. Staying up-to-date is critical as well.
The bottom line here is that education and training never really ends. Keeping your operators and employees up-to-date and informed does take time and effort, but the benefits can have a direct effect on your productivity, efficiency and ultimately on your bottom line.
If you are in need of further training and education, do not hesitate to contact our experts at (704) 842-3242.