A reader asks: I started work at another company. The production here is the same as at my previous job, and therefore I did not consider it an issue that I wasn’t instructed before I commenced work. Now my boss wants me to use a forklift to take finished goods to the warehouse. I have never done this before. My boss said that training was not necessary because I have to use the forklift for only half an hour per day and I drive my car to work every day. Do I have the right to request instruction or refuse to operate the forklift?
Rein Reisberg, Working Environment Consultant at the Labour Inspectorate, responds:
Regardless of the kind of work a new employee has previously performed elsewhere, the employer is obliged to organise instruction and training for the employee before they commence work. Among other things, the instruction must include the safety requirements of the work to be performed and the work equipment to be used.
If the employee has previous experience with similar work, the instruction and training usually take less time, but it is not right to neglect them completely. The new company may not have the same machines, and the way in which materials are delivered and production is taken away may be different as well. In one example, an accident occurred when a company’s machines had a different stopping procedure than that of the machines at the employee’s previous job, which resulted in the employee’s finger being amputated.
Employees must also be instructed if they have to start using new work equipment. If it is necessary in the new company to sometimes use a forklift, but the employee has never done it before, the employer must arrange thorough instruction, followed by a practical training. The employer must record the date and content of the instruction and training in writing so that it can be proved, if necessary.
The employer may allow the employee to work only if they are convinced that the employee is able to apply safe working techniques in practice. Both the employer and the employee must be sure of the adequacy of the instruction and training, since in addition to the employee, colleagues may also be at risk. If the employee feels that performing the work without instruction and training puts their own or other people’s health at risk, they have the right to refuse the work by immediately notifying the employer or their representative.
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