For Manual Handling Equipment do you have thousands of staff at the site and a multitude of significantly differing equipment?  I ask given that if your supervisors are adequately and competently conducting their duties in their work zones they will know "who" without the need for such visual prompts. If you are talking about rotating supervision and shifts that is what training matrices were intended for.

Why not adopt a training regieme where every operator achieves competence on every piece of kit which then gives a significant flexibility across the entire workforce and you can stop worrying if Fred is trained to operate..

Adopt the system and someone will ask what about, and someone else will ask about.... then when you have tens of identifiers and each employee resembling a cub scout with their various proficiency badges so you end up close enough to ask what each one means which is counter productive to the proposal.

FLT driver, FAAW, Fire Marshal, MHFA, Shop Steward, Safety Representative, Works Council Member, H&S Committee ... are these employees also displaying?

I don't understand. That worker wasn't wearing an armband when he used the equipment. Under your new system, he still wouldn't be wearing an armband, but still would have operated the equipment, so what have you gained if you do this? You won't reduce the risk by issuing armbands to trained staff, it's the untrained staff's behaviour you need to modify. Are you really saying there are so many staff and so much equipment that the line managers don't know who they are or if they are trained and they just use what they feel like using? Sounds like the wild west. I totally understand where you are, I guess the management don't want to take this seriously, it puts you in a very difficult position.

In answer to your question, no, I've never heard such a thing, apart from a certain guy called Adolf was fond of them.

Matealot, armbands are not a sustainable answer, they won't make your problem go away, it's supervision and communication that is needed. I doubt any of your wayward staff would get in a vehicle they are not licenced or insured to drive on the public roads. This is no different, they don't follow the rule because they don't understand why it's there.

Ask them why they do it. Then go back to the HSWA section 7, "duty to take care of other persons who may be affected by his act etc" and explain if they use equipment they are not allowed to use and hurt someone etc. Explain it's just like driving without a license, even mention manslaughter a few times. Explain that anyone who does this is not having a lark, he is endangering his fellow workmates, spouses, children's future etc.

Find a few technical questions about the equipment that only a trained operator would know, and ask them to answer them, to demonstrate their lack of knowledge and that it's not just about being able to press a throttle (or whatever). Then explain the disciplinary procedure.

If they then still don't follow the rules they know where it will lead. It's gross misconduct I would think. You would be justified in dismissing them if they knowingly put their own lives and those of others in danger. As an employer, you can't allow this to continue or you will be demonstrating failures in your H&S Management, it will be the director in court.

But armbands, you'll just give them something else to lark about with, it will be the butt of the jokes for weeks. 

Thanks for clarifying it is a new management team so currently getting to know the who can do what.

Never seen armbands used to denote operator competence but have seen hard hats and "Hi-Vis" vest colours used for readily identifying individuals at a distance for particular tasks - again though you need to carefully select who you are trying to identify and there is always the possibility someone will borrow the marking.

If your site already mandates Hi-Vis why not issue competent operators with a red braces version?

You can get them for first aid people to wear to help identify them, that may be a starting point. But how many different types of MHE are you trying to differentiate between. Just Who can drive a fork lift truck, or is there other equipment? if too many items then all the colours could become a bit confusing especially if a particular person can use 3 items of equipment. It’s so hard to find 3 armed employees😇

Hello,

Rather than armbands, might I recommend looking at key control for your MHE (providing they have keys, fobs etc). Either issue keys to operators who you know have been trained or put the keys in a lock box, which only Managers / Supervisors have access to, with an approved used list displayed next to the Box. 

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all your responses and apologies for taking a while to get back to you manically busy moving house. I have taken note all of your points all of which have their  own merits. I do disgaree with one point if you specifcally tell someone not to do something amnd then a few hours later he just ignores wha has been said then quite rightly he gets given his P45