The Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) has certified the 100th lift inspector through the ALI Lift Inspector Certification Program, making it easier than ever for lift owners to find qualified individuals to perform mandated annual lift inspections.
Nicholas Lewandowski of Allied, Inc. in Ann Arbor, Mich., is the 100th lift inspector to complete the program. More than 650 additional candidates, representing 417 companies across the United States and Canada, are enrolled in the program and working toward certification. Enrollment grew significantly in the final week of 2013, when 45 new companies signed up.
“[Last year] was the first full year of the Lift Inspector Certification Program and we made great progress,” says R.W. “Bob” O’Gorman, ALI president. “We set out to build a resource for lift users, and there is now a stable of 100 Certified Lift Inspectors ready to provide service whenever and wherever inspections are needed. I’m happy to welcome Nicholas to the Certified Inspector family and look forward to hitting many more milestones as the current candidates work their way through the program.”
Annual lift inspections help protect service technicians by ensuring that the lifts they work under are installed correctly, functioning properly and adequately maintained. The inspections are required to be conducted on an annual basis by ANSI/ALI ALOIM:2008, the national standard covering vehicle lift operation, inspection and maintenance. Before the ALI Lift Inspector Certification Program was created, there was no national independent vehicle lift inspection licensing or certification program. Lift users were on their own to find inspectors and evaluate their qualifications. According to O’Gorman, as North American health and safety officials increased their focus on vehicle service providers, the need for a unified, third-party pool of inspectors became apparent.
The ALI Lift Inspector Certification Program was launched in late 2012. Lift inspectors certified by ALI have been tested to prove they are competent to thoroughly inspect vehicle lifts in accordance with the ANSI standard governing vehicle lift inspection and in support of OSHA’s General Duty Clause, as well as provincial requirements in Canada.
Every participant who completes the certification program is entered into ALI’s searchable online database, making it easy for lift users to find inspectors. To locate an inspector in your region, visit www.autolift.org/inspectors.php, enter a U.S. ZIP or Canadian postal code and select a geographical radius. Each entry includes the inspector’s individual certification number, company, contact information and photo.
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