What is quick hitch training?

Training in fitting, locking and checking a quick hitch, including the manual safety pin on semi-automatic hitches and the post-change functional check, before the machine lifts or digs.

Is there quick hitch certification?

Quick hitch checks are covered within our mobile plant attachment training, and candidates receive a certificate for the attachments assessed.

Do I need extra training to use fork extensions or a rotator?

Yes. They change the machine's capacity and the way the load behaves, so operators need to know the revised load chart, how the attachment is secured and its pre-use checks.

Can attachment training be added to an operator course?

Yes. It can run alongside excavator, loading shovel or telehandler training on the same visit, on your own machines.

What does mobile plant attachment training cover?

Safe attachment selection, fitting and removal; Quick-hitch checks and locking pin verification; Load charts, capacity limits and inspection records.

Which equipment is used?

Quick-hitches, buckets, breakers, grabs and forks. Training and assessment use the relevant equipment available on your site.

Who is the course for?

Excavator, loader and telehandler operators. Prerequisites: Existing excavator / loader / telehandler operator with a current ticket.

What certification is issued?

Accredited Mobile Plant Attachment certificate. The course covers LOLER 1998, PUWER 1998 and HSE Safety Alerts.

Accredited Mobile Plant Attachment certificate

Mobile Plant Attachment Training

Excavator, loader and telehandler operators.

Training is delivered on your site across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and North-East Scotland; contact us to discuss dates and a quote.

Tell us how many operators need training and what machines you use.

Call 07867 933 018 Get a quote

Learning built around quick-hitches, buckets, breakers, grabs and forks

This course is for excavator, loader and telehandler operators. The practical work centres on quick-hitches, buckets, breakers, grabs and forks, with the assessment matched to the machine, task and operating conditions the candidate will face.

Skills covered

Safe attachment selection, fitting and removal
Quick-hitch checks and locking pin verification
Load charts, capacity limits and inspection records

Practical situations covered

The exercises reflect the tasks and constraints attached to mobile plant attachments work.

Exercise 1
Semi-automatic quick-hitch swap with a manual safety-pin sign-off
Exercise 2
Fitting a hydraulic breaker and checking the carrier weight envelope
Exercise 3
Switching to a man-cage and triggering the LOLER thorough-examination check

Errors the course addresses

These course-specific errors are dealt with through instruction, observation and practical assessment.

Quick-hitch pin not engaged — the cause of the well-known HSE Safety Alerts
Attachment fitted exceeds machine's lifting capacity at reach
No record of who fitted what attachment when — fails any LOLER audit

Published safety context

Multiple

HSE Safety Alerts since 2008 have specifically targeted quick-hitch incidents.

Source: HSE Safety Alerts archive.

Who needs attachment training, and why a machine ticket is not enough

A machine card proves someone can operate the base machine. It says little about the forks, buckets, grabs, jibs, augers or quick hitch they fit on a Tuesday afternoon. Each attachment changes the rated capacity, the centre of gravity and the way a load behaves, and PUWER 1998 expects operators to be trained for the equipment they actually use.

Because this course runs on your own site, candidates are assessed on the attachments already in your yard rather than a generic set. That also gives you an attachment-by-attachment training record, which is the document auditors and principal contractors tend to ask for after an incident. Quick hitch checks are covered in detail; see the quick hitch safety guide for the reasons.

Quick hitch training and semi-automatic hitches

Quick hitch training is the part of mobile plant attachment training most sites ask about first. A semi-automatic quick hitch locks the bucket with the hydraulics but still relies on the operator fitting a manual safety pin or confirming the latch has engaged. The course walks operators through the full change: crowding the attachment in, watching the latch close, fitting the pin, and doing a physical check by pressing the bucket against the ground before lifting it.

Fully automatic hitches remove the manual pin, but they still need a visual and functional check after every change. Operators learn to read the indicators on your hitch, what the manufacturer's instructions require, and why a hitch that 'looked locked' is the root of the HSE safety alerts on dropped buckets.

What extra training is needed for clamps, rotators and fork extensions?

A machine ticket proves an operator can drive and work the machine; it does not prove they can safely fit and use every attachment that goes on it. Clamps, rotators, grabs and fork extensions all change the capacity of the machine and how a load behaves, so operators need to know how the attachment changes the load chart, how it is secured, and what pre-use checks it needs.

Fork extensions, for example, move the load centre further out and cut the safe working load; rotators and clamps add weight before any load is picked up. The training covers reading the rated capacity with the attachment fitted, checking locking and retaining devices, and recording who fitted what and when, which is what a LOLER or PUWER audit will look for.

Fork attachments on excavators, loaders and telehandlers

Pallet forks are one of the most common attachments, and one of the easiest to misuse. On a telehandler they are usually part of the machine's normal duties; on an excavator or loading shovel they turn a digging machine into a lifting machine, which brings lifting operations rules with it. The course covers fork selection, fork-arm checks for wear and cracks, and keeping the load within the chart at the reach you are working.

Because training runs on your own site with your own attachments, every candidate practises on the kit they will use the next morning. Our guide to mobile plant attachment training explains the background, while this course page is where you can enquire about training for your team.

Mobile Plant Attachment Training questions

What is quick hitch training?: Training in fitting, locking and checking a quick hitch, including the manual safety pin on semi-automatic hitches and the post-change functional check, before the machine lifts or digs.
Is there quick hitch certification?: Quick hitch checks are covered within our mobile plant attachment training, and candidates receive a certificate for the attachments assessed.
Do I need extra training to use fork extensions or a rotator?: Yes. They change the machine's capacity and the way the load behaves, so operators need to know the revised load chart, how the attachment is secured and its pre-use checks.
Can attachment training be added to an operator course?: Yes. It can run alongside excavator, loading shovel or telehandler training on the same visit, on your own machines.
What does mobile plant attachment training cover?: Safe attachment selection, fitting and removal; Quick-hitch checks and locking pin verification; Load charts, capacity limits and inspection records.
Which equipment is used?: Quick-hitches, buckets, breakers, grabs and forks. Training and assessment use the relevant equipment available on your site.
Who is the course for?: Excavator, loader and telehandler operators. Prerequisites: Existing excavator / loader / telehandler operator with a current ticket.
What certification is issued?: Accredited Mobile Plant Attachment certificate. The course covers LOLER 1998, PUWER 1998 and HSE Safety Alerts.
How long does training take?: 1–2 days.