Taking Training to New Heights at Teemill/Rapanui!
There's something particularly satisfying about watching a group of trainees get to grips with a new piece of machinery. A little uncertainty at the start, plenty of concentration along the way, and growing confidence as everything begins to click.
That's exactly what I've been seeing recently at
Teemill/Rapanui on the Isle of Wight, where Jon, Olly, Chris and Simon have been getting stuck into their
novice scissor lift training.
And judging by the feedback they've since left, it's safe to say they've enjoyed the experience!
Training at an Island Success Story
It's always a pleasure to deliver training for local businesses, and Teemill/Rapanui is a particularly interesting one.
What started back in 2008 with two brothers and an idea to make clothing differently has grown into an innovative Isle of Wight business that's helping to rethink how clothing is produced.
Rapanui focuses on responsibly made clothing, while Teemill has developed technology that allows businesses, charities and creators to sell products printed on demand.
Their approach centres around reducing waste, using more sustainable materials and designing clothing that can eventually be returned and remade into something new.
It's a great example of Island ingenuity, and it's good to see an Isle of Wight business making its mark well beyond our shores.
Of course, behind all that innovation, there's still the everyday business of running a busy warehouse. And that's where properly trained equipment operators make all the difference.
Meet the Machine: The JLG 1930ES
For this course, the lads were getting familiar with a JLG 1930ES electric scissor lift, a compact self-propelled mobile elevating work platform (MEWP).
It's a useful bit of kit for indoor warehouse work, particularly where space is limited and access is needed to higher levels.
The JLG 1930ES offers:
- A maximum working height of approximately 7.72 metres.
- A compact width of just 76 cm.
- Electric operation, making it well suited to indoor environments.
- A platform extension for additional reach.
But although it might look fairly straightforward to operate, there's a lot more to using a scissor lift safely than simply pressing a button and going up!
Four Trainees, Plenty to Learn
With Jon, Olly, Chris and Simon tackling their novice training, the focus was on developing the practical skills and understanding needed to operate a scissor lift safely and confidently.
Novice training covers important areas such as:
- Pre-use inspections: Knowing what to check before operating the equipment.
- Safe manoeuvring: Understanding how to move and position the machine while maintaining awareness of the surroundings.
- Working at height: Recognising the risks associated with elevated platforms and how to manage them.
- Stability and ground conditions: Understanding why suitable surfaces, load limits and correct positioning matter.
- Emergency procedures: Knowing what to do if something goes wrong, including emergency lowering arrangements.
The Teemill/Rapanui warehouse provides a particularly realistic environment, with high storage racking, busy working areas and limited space in places.
These are exactly the sorts of conditions where operators need to think carefully about what they're doing.
A scissor lift might be compact, but there's still plenty to consider when you're operating around shelving, overhead structures and other workplace equipment.
Good Training Should Leave You Feeling Confident
Something I always try to get across during training is that becoming a good operator isn't just about knowing which controls do what.
It's about thinking ahead, recognising potential hazards and taking the time to do the job properly.
But there's another important part of training that sometimes gets overlooked: making sure people feel comfortable enough to ask questions, make mistakes in a controlled environment and actually enjoy learning.
Nobody wants to spend a day being bombarded with technical information they don't understand!
I prefer to keep things straightforward, explain why we're doing something and give trainees the opportunity to practise until it starts to feel natural.
And it's particularly rewarding when that approach gets noticed.
After the course,
Simon Robson kindly left a Google review that really summed up what I aim to achieve:
"Great training, put us all at ease and left us with the confidence to put our training straight into practice"
That's exactly what I want to hear.
Training shouldn't just be about getting through the day or completing an assessment. It should leave people with the knowledge and confidence to put what they've learned into practice safely.
Clear Explanations Make All the Difference
When you're learning to operate equipment for the first time, there's a lot to take in.
Controls, safety checks, emergency procedures, positioning, hazards – it can seem like quite a list!
That's why I believe in keeping explanations clear and backing them up with practical demonstrations.
Chris also took the time to leave a Google review, describing it as:
"Wonderful training"
He also praised how well everything was explained and demonstrated.
That's always encouraging to hear, because there's no point knowing everything about a machine if you can't explain it in a way that makes sense to someone who's never used one before.
And then there was
Jon (Jonathan Saltmarsh), who left another lovely review:
"Thank you Tim, a very thorough and enjoyable day of training
👍"
Thorough and enjoyable – I'll happily take that!
It's perfectly possible to take workplace safety seriously without making training feel like a chore. In fact, I find that when people are relaxed, engaged and enjoying themselves, they're often much more willing to ask questions and get involved.
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