The Importance of TRAINING (Part 3)

Welcome to part 3 of The Importance of Training. This month I am going to cover All things heights. This basically constitutes 4 units that I feel come under heights.

Work safely at heights:- For this unit, students need to understand the knowledge behind working safely at eights as well as use a harness and traverse between anchor points and use fall protection like handrail systems in a multiple situations. One of the biggest things I find with students when completing training is that in most cases they have never used a harness let alone lanyards, or trestles with handrail systems.

Erect and maintain trestle and plank systems:- Once again theory is required as well as actually building a trestle and planking system using handrails, double planks and plank clamps. As previously mentioned, most sites only have trestles with 1 plank let alone handrail systems.

Erect and dismantle restricted height scaffolding:This includes erecting and dismantling one modular scaffolding system up to four metres, including three bays (one with a return), one lift with ladder, and fall and edge protection.

Operate elevated work platforms up to 11 metres:The unit includes locating, setting up, operating and shutting down scissor lifts and self-propelled boom lifts with a boom length under 11 metres.

I see these all as extremely high risk units for the students to complete. And for some it can be confronting when they have to go up so high in the boom lift.

In the last 2 months I have trained apprentices all over Qld in these units and its amazing to hear some of the stories from some that have been in the industry for many years.

Here is one from a student with the EWP High Risk Work Licence Over 11 Metres qualification. “Why do I have to do this training I already have my license. So, I questioned him, ‘what did they get you to do to get your license?’ His reply ‘we did the paperwork, sat in a room and the trainer gave us the answers and we were done in about an hour, I then got in a scissor and went up and down then got in a boom lift and went up and down. There wasn’t room for us to drive them!’”

Once he came down from being in the machines for over an hour, driving through a set course as well as going up and down multiple times, he said he felt so much better knowing more about the machines and what they can do.

Unfortunately, I hear this sort of stories way too regularly, I’ve got my ticket for this, I’ve got my ticket for that, why do I have to do this again? This is where I really find that time spent with apprentices/ students really show some of the problems we have within our industry.

If you want your staff and apprentices trained correctly, contact me and I can assist you with your training needs.

Nigel Gorman nigel@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au