Powered Mobile Equipment

Powered mobile equipment (PME) is a self-propelled machine that assists in the movement or transport of an employer’s materials and equipment or provides a work platform for workers. PME refers to a variety of machines including forklifts, pallet jacks, agricultural tractors and aerial lift platforms.

All workers must be trained to safely operate PME before using it on the job. OHS legislation states PME training must:

• be provided by a competent person;
• meet the requirements of Table 14.1; and 
• include documented written records.

Training

Employers are responsible for training their staff on PME within their workplace. Employers can train internally or hire a trainer.

Training should cover:

• each type of equipment the worker will operate;
• the operator’s manual, when available; and
• other safety information.

Workers must be evaluated on what they learned to ensure they are competent in operating PME. These evaluations should be documented and readily available.  Workers must be re-evaluated in situations where they have not been operating a specific type of PME regularly for a period of three years.

The Operator Competency Checklist is an example of a checklist employers can use to evaluate a workers’ competency. This checklist is only an example and should be modified to include specifics on the PME being used.