OPERATOR'S MANUAL - If you only read one article a year make it this one.

I am currently an OSHA Outreach Instructor and Safety Trainer for Liftech Equipment Companies, when it comes to operator training and certification my time is primarily spent doing two things, I study and learn the equipment then I train operators on that equipment. Most of the training I do is for equipment in our featured lines; Hyster, Yale, JCB, JLG and Genie, but I am regularly asked to train on other brands and manufactures of equipment also. So, as I mentioned the first step in this procedure is to study and learn the equipment. In doing so, I have spent hundreds of hours reading operators manuals, so that is where I will start today. 

We have all heard of the operator’s manual and its importance but time after time I walk into both operator and trainer training classes and within the first half hour or so of class I start talking about the operator’s manual. After a short speech on its importance and the fact that every piece of equipment ever made came with one, I ask the class; “Who has read the operators manual for the equipment we will be training on today?” Well, the answer was at first surprising that in a room of ten to fifteen operators or two to five trainers I rarely get more than one or two that respond they have read it.  Now, after training for some time I get surprised when more than one or two say that they have read the manual and believe it or not the “norm” in many classes is that no one has read the manual. 

Very few operators and even trainers have read the operators manual. There must be a reason for this, I mean reading the manual is in every Equipment Safety Video or Presentation I have ever seen, I hear trainers saying it all the time but it’s not getting read. Is someone telling them not to read it? Probably not, unless management does not see its importance and does not allow time for that task. Are our supervisors and leaders to blame or is it our trainers and instructors? No matter who it is we blame for not stressing the importance of and not following up on this vital piece of every machinery and equipment we have our employees operate, I can assure you it is not getting done, perhaps even in your company with your equipment operators and trainers.

Well if you open an operator’s manual most of the time with-in the first few pages the manufacture of the equipment, the author of the manual, asks you to read the manual BEFORE operating the machine. I am often told by people that statement is a CYA statement form the manufactures. Is it? Well maybe it is or maybe it is a combination of organizations, some of which you may have heard of, OSHA, ANSI and MSHA to name a few stressing the importance of the manual. As a matter of fact, a manufacture, if they would like to comply with the standards and regulations of these organizations, must include the information in the manual with the machines they sell. We can then say and hopefully agree that is a requirement for the manual to be with every piece of equipment and to be read and or understood. Now let’s take that one step further with a question; “Why would the manufactures and these organizations ask that it is included, if very few operators and trainers are going to read it?” I feel they believe it will get read, maybe not from everyone every time but at least by some of the people that need the information with-in the covers. 

So, what is in an operator’s manual? In most cases 3 things; #1- safety topics for operating the equipment, #2- how to operate the equipment, its safety features and controls and #3- equipment maintenance. Let’s talk about number one, safety topics when operating the equipment. All equipment does not operate the same even within the same classification. Manufacture to manufacture equipment differs depending on the year it was made and the model. The operator’s manual explains safety guidelines when operating specific pieces of equipment. Next number two, how to operate the equipment, its safety features and controls. Some manufactures refer to this as “Familiarization Training”. The operator needs to know what all the safety features of the machine are and how to operate the controls. (NOTE: If your employees are not reading the manual to get this information and instead just going out to the equipment sitting in it and moving the controls around until they learn it, understand that this practice is time consuming, wage consuming not to mention dangerous. A company I know had an OSHA recordable injury from the “sit in it and try it method”) The third topic equipment maintenance, you would think is for the mechanics only, but if that’s what you’re thinking that would be wrong. Most equipment has at minimum daily or weekly checks, grease points and or other maintenance instructions to keep that equipment running safely and keep the company from incurring costly breakdowns and repairs. 

If you’re an employer and you want to meet OSHA guidelines, save money and keep your employees, operators and trainers safe have them read the operators manual. If you’re a trainer and have not read the operator’s manual for the equipment you are training you operators on, I can assure you that there is information in there that you need. If you’re an operator and you want to be productive at work and make it home to your family after a good day’s work, read the manual. I was once asked to train a group of trainers on a brand and line of equipment I had not trained on in the past and I agreed to do so. The first thing I did was to get ahold of the operator’s manual for that piece of equipment and read through it three times, I then cut it up and used it in my presentation. Along with the standard safety and operator training parts I taught the four trainers, I also taught them things about THEIR equipment they didn’t know. Where did I find that information? You probably guessed, the operator’s manual. 

If you have comments, questions or suggestions because I too am continuously learning please respond to this article. Feel free also to send a copy to the person in charge of your training department. If you and or your company needs training for operators or trainers with in Liftech Equipment Companies’ geographical territory send an email to safety@liftech.com.  I can also be reached at www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyhauser/. Thank you for your time. I plan on doing one or two articles each month please watch for them.

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