About 10 years ago, our company began using golf carts, Gators, Mules and other types of ATV's as workplace vehicles. These vehicles are cheaper than automobiles to purchase and maintain. But they also raise safety concerns. So we require our employees to complete a customized training course before letting them operate such a vehicle. If you have a digital camera and PowerPoint, you can do the same. Let me explain.

What Utility Vehicle Training Involves

Before you begin, I would urge you to keep in mind that training should be tailored to the type of work your company does and the type of hazards your employees are likely to encounter. Our basic course consists of five components:

1. A classroom training session
2. Safety hazard orientation
3. A vehicle orientation
4. Driving practice
5. A written exam

Here's a more detailed look at each component.

Component 1: The Classroom Session

First, we hold a classroom session in which we cover general safety rules using PowerPoint. One good place to look for safety rules is within the Owner's Manual of the vehicles you use. These rules include that all operators must:

• Have a valid driver's license
• Wear seatbelts
• Obey plant speed limits
• Wear the appropriate and required PPE in plant areas
• Yield the right-of-way to pedestrians at all times

Your training program should also address:

Battery charging. This should only be done in areas designed for that purpose. The area should be well ventilated and have spill response material available to clean-up electrolyte spills.

Carrying cargo. If your facility is using a cart designed to carry cargo, operators must be trained to:

• Ensure that the cargo is secured
• Avoid uneven terrain.

Restricted areas. The utility vehicle should not be operated in or around areas containing ignitable gases or dusts, unless the vehicle is designed for the area.

Component 2: Safety Hazard Orientation

After the classroom session is over, your training program should make trainees aware of the potential safety hazards around your facility, including:

• Blind spots
• Low pipes and beams
• Trench crossings
• Weight limits
• Hazardous locations
• Uneven terrain
• Places that are off-limits to vehicle operations

Drivers should also be cautioned about blocking exits, stairways, fire and first aid equipment.

Component 3: Vehicle Orientation

Next, we move the training outdoors and provide a vehicle orientation that addresses:

• Familiarity with vehicle controls
• Battery charging
• A daily pre-operation check of the vehicle, such as
  • fuels
  • fluid levels
  • tires
  • brakes
  • lights, etc

Component 4: Driving Practice

Once we've familiarized them with the vehicle, its hazards and safety features, we let trainees drive the vehicle in a designated course where we can watch them. This gives them hands-on experience and enables them to become familiar with vehicle operation.

Component 5: The Written Test

The final step is to test the employee's retention of the training. Your exam should cover the basic safety rules, restricted areas and any hazards specific to your location.

Conclusion

Golf carts and other utility vehicles are now common workplace vehicles. Keep your employees safe by ensuring they receive thorough training and orientation before letting them operate their vehicles.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

July 6, 1944

By Catherine Jones

The Day the Clowns Cried.

This is the 62^nd anniversary of a terrible tragedy. It took place in Hartford, Connecticut, 20 minutes into a matinee show of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. About 7,500 people were enjoying the performance of the famous trapeze artists, the Great Wallendas, when the band suddenly began to play the "Stars and Stripes Forever." Most of the audience thought it was just part of the show. But the ringleader and ushers recognized the song as show-business code signaling a life-threatening emergency.

In fact, a small fire had started on the southwest wall of the tent. As circus personnel struggled to coordinate an orderly evacuation of audience and animals, people clamored for the exits. At least two exits were blocked. Some people stampeded through and over the crowd, some leapt from the bleachers and others frantically searched for family members rather than an escape. Others remained in their seats waiting for the fire to be extinguished.

But the flames spread quickly and soon the tent was engulfed. It collapsed within minutes, trapping hundreds. More than 700 people were injured in the fire and resulting chaos, many badly burned by melting paraffin. Of the 167 who died, more than 100 were under age 15.

The cause of the fire remains undetermined to this day. But what we do know is that the fire was fed by the big top's coating of paraffin and gasoline, a common waterproofing method of the time. Shortly after the fire, the military made its waterproofing compound available to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and since 1945, all circus tents have been treated with a flame retardant compound.

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