Training Resources for Safe Operation of Specialized Equipment
Conclusions
Based on our review of existing specialized equipment training materials, there appears to be a need for development of programs for off-highway-vehicle operation tailored to the specific needs of Forest Service personnel. The videos and multimedia resources for four-wheel-drive vehicles, ATVs, and off-road motorcycles are heavily oriented toward recreational use. This is understandable given the popularity of these recreational vehicles, the concerns that organized user-groups have for minimizing social and resource impacts, and the desire of riders to ensure their future access to recreation areas.
The use of these vehicles for resource management activities presents challenges and potential hazards that recreational users do not normally encounter. In the case of ATVs, for example, additional equipment such as water or chemical tanks present unique safety concerns. Proper work practices associated with the use of four-wheel-drive vehicles in the types of environments where resource management activities occur also can present unique challenges. Training materials developed specifically for the Forest Service would focus on these unique situations, along with the specific job hazard analysis procedures, inspection requirements, and reporting associated with field activities.Of the materials reviewed, only those related to snowmobiles had some significant focus on agency use. The program, Think Like an Avalanche: The Art of Surviving in Avalanche Country not only provided information on basic avalanche situational awareness, but also included the perspectives of Forest Service personnel directly related to avalanche resource and safety. This presentation, along with the video, Rules of the Snow provide some of the agency perspective lacking in the other materials reviewed.
In addition to the need for development of agency-specific training programs, there is an ongoing need for hands-on training and practice for all types of specialized equipment. Locally available industry-standard training programs offered for ATVs, snowmobiles, and motorcycles provide training opportunities that electronic media presentations cannot.
Finally, some of the training programs already developed at the field level provide important resources and examples of how materials have been combined to produce agency-specific training resources. For instance, the training programs have been developed by the Boise National Forest for ATVs, off-road motorcycles, snowmobiles, and trailering. All of these programs combine public and private materials, underscoring the need to tailor future specialized equipment training materials to the particular needs of resource management professionals within the Forest Service.
E-mail: 