This is not my area, but since there hasn't been another reply I'll add some thoughts.

I see how you are frustrated, the training for each item of equipment is quite detailed and will cover all operational aspects of the equipment, but hauliers only need to know how to operate the motive and emergency controls to drive on / off the HGV.

Clearly there is a risk both to the businesses and to the health and safety of the employee. Without training how can you expect the haulier to know how to operate the machine (I certainly couldn't just jump into a forklift and drive it on / off a HGV trailer!!) if they haven’t been given any training? On the flip-side, should anything happen the business will be wide open to criticism / enforcement action. I would not be satisfied with the current level of business risk, IMO.

Can an agreement be arranged with the sites that a trained site operative is available to conduct the task? (unless you're doing night shifts I'm sure this can be worked round, the only issue being the site manager may be reluctant to allow their operative onto your vehicle), certainly our company policy is that any deliveries are the responsibility of the supplier / haulier until unloaded into our warehouses.

In all honesty I think you'll have to bite the bullet and get the hauliers trained. You state that the training doesn't cover the loading / unloading from trailers, well of course it wouldn't! But the training will cover all the safety controls, how to actually move the damn thing, how to move the machine correctly and in a controlled manner and will no doubt be practical so the haulier can get to grips with what it feels like to operate the machine.

We are actually the plant hire company and haulage contractor, so good point made as we also have the fitters carrying out repairs.

We are in the process of getting all fitters and lorry dirvers to hold atleast the basis CSCS card as sites wont let these guys on without one. Not easy as the CSCS is primarily geared towards construction obviously but fitters and drivers are more from a transport and automotive industry.

IMHO, I think the way to go is to devise a training plan to cover familiarisation on basic controls only on each item of plant and issue and in-house certification. Hopefully, this will 'pacify' the over eager site managers.

Hi Kevin,

CPCS categories A49 & A50 are Loader/ Securer competencies for Non-STGO & STGO Low Loader plant deliveries.

Hope this helps.
Ant

Since my original post, have spoken with a couple of training providers about this.

Apparently CPCS have very recently tried to come up with a solution which involves the driver/fitter sitting both the theory and practical test on each plant but on a far simpler criteria.

Another alternative offered, was the NPORS route which can gear the training/assessment towards specific requirements of the trainee.

NPORS sound more practical (as it usually tends to be) but will probably be forced into following the new CPCS, but this form still to be confirmed. I'm certain though that there still wont be a section specific to physically loading the plant.

mudmuppet :
had already looked at the a49 & a50 categories but as you state this is only for securing the loads as it identified 2 specific roles in the criteria the securer/loader and the operator.

In previous employment where I worked in quarrying industry we had a similar issue with our fitters. We directly employed qualified CPCS Instructors and using the CPCS Theory Test Question and Practical Test Standards (both of which are publicly available on CPCS website) we devised an in-house training programme/competence check for our fitters to allow them to operate plant providing them with our own in-house certificates of competence. Competence checks were re-done every 3 years on immediately in the event of an incident. Our guys only operated on our own sites so we didn't have the issues of 'that's not acceptable'. The training/competence checks covered pre-start checks, start up procedures, travelling/manoeuvring and shut down procedures.

Good to know Plant Trainer. I've been out the industry for about four years now and MPQC was just coming into play around the time I left with a lot of unknown questions.