Not compulsory
Page 47
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• I refer to your reader's letter regarding certification of lorry loader operatives and would like to clear up a common misconception which is causing great confusion among lorry-loader users.
A certification scheme has been brought in by the CITE which it asks all its members to implement, but it is only applicable to construction sites run by CITB members.
For the very large percentage of users who never go on CITB member sites there is no certification scheme or legal requirement for training other than the duty of care under the 1961 Factories Act (Reg 26(1) and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Section 7.
We have been 'open' for lorry-loader training and servicing and repairs for over a year now, but when we say there is not a legal requirement for certification we have few takers. Unfortunately a number of training establishments have been making a profit out of this misconception.
However, I would add that having been involved in the supply of lorry-loader vehicles and operators to a wide cross-section of the industry over a number of years we have seen their use grow and are very concerned at the lack of basic safety standards both in operator training and in the maintenance of these loaders. It is sad that many opeators are only now doing right by their employees not because it is the right thing to do, but because it would result in a loss of profit if they did not comply. Jean Watson Rymer Transport (Hiab Division), Croydon, Surrey.