Instructor Profile: Garry Prosser

Instructor Profiles: Garry Prosser

Garry Prosser is the “original” and “still active” Lift Truck (forklift) safety trainer in Atlantic Canada and now has over 35 years experience in the Lift Truck industry. Garry started his own company, All Lift Truck Training in 1998 and Lift Truck operator safety training is his full time business. All Lift Truck Training is pleased to have been chosen the contracted trainer (and now a member) of NBCSA (New Brunswick Construction Safety Association) and NBFSA (New Brunswick Forest Safety Association). Thousands of operators take Garry’s course each year from private business and the three (3) levels of Government.

Garry is a charter member and past president of ASHCAT (Association of Safety & Health Consultants and Trainers Inc.); an association of privately owned companies that offers consulting and training in health and safety. “Our formation was at the suggestion of WorkSafeNB and the mandate of our Association is to give clients a comfort level when dealing with our members. Members must be in this business full time and be their main source of income; sign a declaration of competence for the services they offer; must carry Error’s and Omissions + General Liability Insurance and must abide by our code-of-ethics.” For more information on this Association and its members, clients are asked to visit their website ashcat.com.

Further, Garry is a past board member and still a member of CSSE (Canadian Society of Safety Engineers) and CPSA (Canadian Professional Sales Association). CSSE also has a code-of-ethics that all members must adhere to (your health & safety person may wish to look at becoming a member of our N.B. chapter).

There are many people out there that do health & safety consulting & training and clients should do their homework first. There is no legislated Lift Truck safety course and no course or person is recognized by government. Don’t look at the company that offers this service, but check out the trainer.

Some people try to do all types of health & safety training instead of specializing, and clients should question their competency for the Lift Truck course they offer:

how many years (days?) have they been doing Lift Truck operator safety training?
Are they doing this full time or just to compliment their income?
Call WorkSafeNB in your area. Have they heard of the trainer’s name before?
Can they provide you with a list of clients that have taken their lift truck course in the last 2 months?
Do they carry Error’s & Omissions + General Liability Insurance?
Is the trainer going to do a previsit, take pictures and customize the course to your application or, are they just going to “show up” the morning of the course with “drive-thru” or “generic” training?
Are pedestrians invited - at no charge for a session on their safety working/walking around Lift Trucks?
Is management invited - at no charge to participate in “your” training day?
How many hours of theory time - excluding videos? (if under 4 hours, this needs to be questioned)
Will they provide you with a written proposal stating exactly what they will provide and the price?
Are certificates & wallet cards being provided and copies for your ROT (Record of Training) file?
Do they offer a free follow up service if you have a question or concern?
Do they belong to any association that has a code-of-ethics and you have recourse?
If it’s a company quoting you, is the trainer an employee or “just hired” to do your course?

One young lady had taken a Lift Truck safety course from another company and a week later found my name. She called and I invited her to sit in on my course at no charge; I wanted her to compare the two courses and after my course she stated that my course had 15 times the safety information given by the other company!”

Garry has his own code-of-ethics and his mandate is:
“To provide you with the most comprehensive Lift Truck safety course in Atlantic Canada. A customized course for everyone at your company.”