The team at Pegasus Lift Truck Training put hundreds of drivers a year through their paces to ensure that they can safely operate anything from all types of warehouse equipment to overhead gantry cranes, lorry banksman, mini diggers and lorry mounted trucks, ensuring that all trainees meet strict, accredited, safety guidelines.
Courses meet P.U.W.E.R (The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998), L.O.L.E.R ( Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998) and L117 legislation, giving operatives training in areas including stability, truck components, pre-shift checks, load weight distribution, handling techniques and vehicle loading and unloading in accordance with the Health & Safety At Work Act 1974.
The most recent accident statistics show forklifts are officially the most dangerous forms of workplace transport in the country, due to lack of training, poor maintenance, poor working conditions and complacency.
Headed up by Giuseppe (Pepe) Girardi, who has over 25 years hands-on experience of all aspects of lift trucks, the instructors aim to ensure not only competence, but training that reflects the needs of each individual business and also to be on hand to answer specific health and safety questions and recommend the best equipment for the job.
All Pegasus instructors continue to receive exceptional ITSSAR (Independent Training Standards Scheme and Register) Accreditation results with annual monitoring and the honesty and transparency of the whole teams knowledge put clients very much at ease from the outset.
Dawn Girardi, who founded the company with husband Pepe in 1995, has an in-depth knowledge of working within logistics focused on training, sales, hire, servicing and financial offices for fork lift trucks, and is at the forefront of customer enquiries.
Dawn said: “All of our courses are fundamentally about health and safety and training employees in how to use various types of materials handling equipment so that drivers are not at any risk and they’re not putting others at risk.
“That might be novice drivers, experienced drivers needing additional skills, assessments, or just a refresher course, but it’s always worth ensuring that everyone is fully up to date with their training and knowledge of safe handling of equipment.”
The courses Pegasus run teach the basic skills, familiarisation and job specific requirements and knowledge necessary for the safe and efficient operation of forklifts, encouraging good practice by the company to maintain and promote the skills learned. They also encourage the creation of a safer working environment, developing safer working procedures as a matter of habit and to meet the legal requirements of The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.
A popular course is the one-day Supervisors’ and Managers’ course which helps those with additional responsibilities ensure minimal risk is related to manual handling equipment. Often, those responsible for overseeing drivers dont use the equipment themselves and these courses ensure they are adequately trained in areas such as regulations, operational safety, operator training and supervision of the workplace.
Dawn added: In addition to the courses we run we also have a range of preferred suppliers that we have built up over the years and we now offer training in areas such as working at height, ladder training, racking layouts and safety, fire marshal, DSEAR risk assessments, chemical spillages and IOSH Managing and Working Safely, helping our clients to protect their workplaces and ensure they are well prepared for any unexpected problems or accidents that may occur. All of our courses encourage confidence and competence.
The health risks of the workplace have been brought into sharp focus by the COVID-19 pandemic and additional distancing and hygiene procedures have been introduced anywhere that groups of people are working together. Last year, Pegasus Lift Truck Training became the Midlands distributor for sales of the revolutionary cleaning system SpaceVac, which allows customers to do their own fast, safe and cost-efficient cleaning of large areas, particularly those with high areas that would normally require scaffolding, ladders or hydraulic access platforms for cleaning. The SpaceVac system allows an operator to clean troublesome areas up to 15m (19m externally) from the ground floor and in a fraction of the time it would normally take.
Pepe said: “SpaceVac is the perfect fit for us as many of our customers have warehouse premises with storage at a high level and cleaning those areas is an issue, alongside dusty ducting, pipes, air vents and walls. These days, when hygiene is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, it’s a simple and effective way to keep premises clean with minimum disruption or downtime. SpaceVac is available to purchase through Pegasus, with customers often finding that initial outlay is soon offset by the fact that they don’t need to hire any additional cleaning or access equipment. Where customers don’t want to invest in their own equipment, Pegasus can arrange a visit to clean at a time to suit.
“Keeping workplaces safe and clean for everyone using them is of paramount importance. Through our training team and our preferred suppliers, we help our clients put the best possible procedures in place to make sure everyone stays safe and well at work.”
To find out more about Pegasus Lift Truck Training or obtain a free On Site Training Consultation visit www.pegasuslifttrucktraining.co.uk or call 07736 248071 or 07801 631699.
