Training Resources for Safe Operation of Specialized Equipment
Methods
To begin this search, we asked the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station Library to provide a baseline list of resources. In addition, we conducted extensive Web-based searches and contacted agency personnel along with other governmental and nongovernmental organizations to identify materials they are using. We also contacted industry organizations such as the All-Terrain Vehicle Association, the American Council of Snowmobile Associations, and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. These contacts allowed us to review industry standard training, education, and awareness programs.
We did not evaluate training materials for snow cat operators. Snow cats have two tracks, unlike snowmobiles, which are powered by a single belt. The Health and Safety Code Handbook (13.51.3) indicates that training for snow cat operators must be given by the snow cat manufacturer, by a Forest Service employee with 100 hours of experience, or by a certified instructor. That training is too specialized for us to do it justice in this report.
Four-wheel-drive vehicles are identified in the Health and Safety Code Handbook as specialized equipment, but no specific training or certification requirements are identified. Inclusion of four-wheel-drive vehicles in the Handbook's section on specialized equipment suggests that this type of equipment could use special emphasis short of required training and certification. Given this special equipment status, and taking into consideration the wide-spread official use of these vehicles, we included four-wheel-drive vehicles in our review of training materials.
For each type of equipment covered, this report provides a brief description of different training materials, including their content along with the format, length, date produced, availability, and price. The categories of materials include video and DVD productions, electronic documents, Web-based training programs, and curriculum packages developed by field units of the Forest Service. These categories represent the types of resources available commercially and noncommercially for specialized equipment. These materials could help support existing training programs or assist persons who are developing new programs for field employees.
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