Rental company fined for not providing familiarization

The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited One Source Equipment Rentals for lacking to provide familiarization and training upon delivery of equipment. As required in ANSI A92 standards, familiarization must be provided to users when equipment is provided for sale, rental or lease. Trained operators must also be familiarized on the specific equipment prior to use. According to sources, the user was also cited for lack of operator training.

According to the ANSI/SIA A92 Standards, when a user directs or authorizes an individual to operate an aerial work platform, the user must ensure that the individual is trained before being assigned to operate it. The operator must receive general training on the type of AWP equipment being assigned. Instructions should include the inspection, application, recognition and avoidance of hazards associated with that equipment. Additionally, the operator must receive AWP equipment model-specific familiarization on the particular model that he/she will be operating. Both general training and familiarization are currently outlined in the ANSI/SIA Manuals of Responsibilities and the full ANSI/SIA A92 Standards.

This information can be found in The Statement of Best Practices of General Training and Familiarization for Aerial Work Platform Equipment, an educational document created to clarify what is required for general training and model-specific familiarization of aerial work platform (AWP) equipment.

It was launched in February 2010 by the American Rental Association (ARA), the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), the Associated Equipment Distributors (AED), the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) and the Scaffold Industry Association (SIA).

For more on this document, please visit www.ipaf.org.