ALI, safety firm partner for Ontario lift users training

CORTLAND, N.Y. (Sept. 29, 2014) — The Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) has partnered with Toronto-based Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) to provide WSPS members in Ontario with vehicle lift safety education.

On its website, WSPS  says it provides “impactful risk management solutions that drive lasting business success for our customers. WSPS offers unparalleled health & safety expertise, insight and solutions for creating healthy work environments where employees thrive and businesses prosper.”

Through the ALI partnership, WSPS members now have access to Lifting It Right: 2014 Online Edition, an interactive, Web-based vehicle lift safety course developed by ALI and dealer services provider KPA. In the safety course, a narrator guides trainees through curriculum that covers lift types, the lifting and lowering processes and lift maintenance.

Throughout the presentation, real-world scenarios with corresponding questions are presented, and participants are able to interact with the content and receive immediate feedback. ALI said the interactive elements “provide a positive learning environment and reinforce the trainee's understanding of each topic presented before moving forward.”

WSPS officials cite accidents involving lifts as one of the top three issues facing the auto repair sector in Ontario. Seven fatalities related to lifting and jacking vehicles in the auto service industry were reported between 2009 and 2011, according to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) in conjunction with the Ontario Ministry of Labour.

“WSPS recognized there was a need for vehicle lift training designed specifically to meet the stringent requirements of North American standards,” said ALI President R.W. “Bob” O'Gorman. “Lifting It Right: 2014 Online Edition provides WSPS members with an easy-to-use, flexible solution for training that minimizes time away from billable work.”

ALI said Ontario legislation requires employers to provide vehicle lift operators with information and instruction to ensure they are protected. This applies to automotive dealerships, repair shops, towing operations, gas stations and other businesses where lifts are used.

“After comparing all available resources in Canada and south of the border, we determined that ALI's Lifting It Right: 2014 Online Edition offered the only viable option to provide WSPS members with lift safety training,” said Norm Karmer, a health and safety consultant for WSPS. “ALI is credentialed as a nationally recognized standards development organization. It sponsors ANSI/ALI ALOIM-2008, the industry standard covering vehicle lift operation, inspection and maintenance, so users can trust the safety training content is relevant.”

Lifting It Right: 2014 Online Edition costs $29 per trainee. Upon completion of the program, a certificate of is generated and stored online, allowing shop managers to easily demonstrate training compliance when health and safety officials visit.

WSPS members can access Lifting It Right: 2014 Online Edition on its website.