Meet OSHA and ANSI Training Requirements for Tree Care Operators with Altec Sentry

For tree care professionals, tree removal or pruning can be time consuming and comes with many risks. At Altec, we understand the challenges our tree care customers face, and are here to help you keep your crews safe on the job.

“Any time an operator picks themselves up off the ground in an aerial unit, they’re introducing risk to their job,” said Andy Netzel, Altec Sentry business manager. “Altec Sentry’s goal is to help operators operate safely and efficiently, and make sure they get home at the end of the day.”

While innovations in equipment and technology have helped reduce some risk on the job, comprehensive safety training is still important—and required. For nearly 20 years, Altec Sentry has helped employers train and certify Altec equipment operators on safe and proper operation.

Many of the risks in tree care are unique to the industry, which is why Altec Sentry created a customized safety training course for tree care operators.

Meet OSHA and ANSI Requirements with Sentry Training

Completing training with Altec Sentry meets the ANSI and OSHA requirements for becoming a trained aerial device operator. To be fully trained, operators need to become familiar with each aerial device they operate. This requires learning the unit operating instructions and characteristics, as well as demonstrating proficiency in actual operation of the unit.

Altec Sentry offers many different safety training courses, including a tree care specific training that covers:

  • Safety Statements and OSHA Regulations
  • Tree Care Aerial Device Daily Unit Inspection
  • Aerial Unit Travel Considerations
  • Job Briefing
  • Unit Setup and Pre-Operational Inspection
  • Unit Operation
  • Line-Clearance Tree Trimming
  • ISO-GripTM System

In addition to equipment training, it’s also important to be well versed in drop-zone safety to reduce risks for operators and bystanders. Altec Sentry offers Tree Care Drop Zone training to teach operators how to establish and safeguard drop zones, as well as NCCCO certification programs for operators of mobile cranes and digger derricks.

“We offer a tree-care specific training because we recognize the inherent risks involved in the industry,” Netzel said. “Periodically, we review and update the training to ensure that it is fresh and relevant to tree care operators and the rest of the industry.”

Train Your Trainers

For customers looking to take ownership of their safety program, Sentry offers a Train the Trainer program. Sentry will instruct a customer’s safety liaison through training that they can then administer themselves to their organization’s operators; the customer trainers use the same materials as Sentry trainers and meet all OSHA and ANSI training requirements. Sentry will also assist customers in documenting and maintaining records of employees who have completed training.

“These customers will have an in-house, Altec-trained and Altec-supported trainer,” Netzel said. “Every time that customer hires new operators or a group of operators, they can get trained right away from that group of in-house trainers.”

About OSHA and ANSI Training Requirements

OSHA requires owners of vehicle-mounted elevating and rotating aerial devices to instruct their employees in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the regulations applicable to the operator’s work environment. Furthermore, OSHA directs that employers follow ANSI industry practices to properly qualify aerial device operators. Training requirements defined by ANSI include general training, familiarization, and retraining. General Training is required for all operators and includes instruction on unit inspection, proper aerial applications, recognizing and avoiding hazards, and hands-on device operation among other topics.

Contact Sentry Today

To learn more about how Altec Sentry can help your crews work safer and smarter, visit altecsentry.com or call 1-877-GO-ALTEC.