At a time when we look to raise awareness of the key issues affecting fork lift truck safety through our annual Safety Week campaign and Safety Conference, it’s important to remember that safety is not a one-off event.
Fork lift truck safety is a journey. It is one which has been a way of life for the Fork Lift Truck Association since it was established more than four decades ago.
During this time, we have encouraged and witnessed the UK fork lift truck industry making significant strides in health and safety practice.
But fork lift trucks continue to be involved in more than 800 workplace accidents each year.
The nature and size of fork lift trucks means that these are often very serious and life-changing events, with injuries including long-bone fractures, dislocations and amputations.
While every one of these incidents is both shocking and tragic, nearly all are avoidable – so it is the duty of every person working within our industry to be vigilant about safety.
Over the past year, we have worked closely with representatives from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Safety Conference sponsor Briggs Equipment and our Media Partner Warehouse & Logistics News (WLN), along with other leading bodies and experts within the materials handling industry to identify the key issues facing employers, operators, supervisors and the many colleagues who work alongside them.
It is easily tempting to think of the truck as the ‘killer in the workplace’, but the culture that allows bad practice to go unchallenged – whether because of a fear of reporting or not seeing it as your responsibility to do so – is every bit as dangerous.
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