Warehouses are among the most hazardous environments in the materials handling sector, and ‘struck by’ incidents – where a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle – are the most common cause of major workplace accidents in the UK.

James-Clark-May-2011-300dpiSadly every year sees workers killed or injured and companies prosecuted over entirely preventable accidents where, sadly, forklifts have been used in an unsafe manner. For this reason warehouse managers and operators should always prioritise developing and maintaining safe systems of traffic management based on three core activities:

• Physically segregating pedestrian and vehicle areas in the warehouse

• Training and supervising vehicle operators

• Raising awareness among all pedestrians, employees and visitors

Although it isn’t a specific legal requirement to segregate pedestrian areas, there is an overall enduring obligation for managers to ‘provide a safe working environment’.

At BITA we believe that materials handling stakeholders have a vital role to play in the process – and must be accountable. We have developed publications such as our safety bestpractice booklets for operators, as well as guidance notes for employers and managers which include the latest developments in legislation and best practice.

However, it isn’t just knowing what to do – but actually doing it and building corporate culture around site safety and security. Safety best practice is not a cost or an encumbrance, but a fundamental investment in the future health of employees and their own bottom line.

Another way of improving safety is by incorporating it at the design stage and to this end BITA, in an attempt to encourage such ideas, is once again organising the Design4Safety awards at the forthcoming IMHX 2016, at Birmingham’s NEC from 13-16 September.

As their name suggests the awards are all about designing safety into products and services with their aim being to highlight the importance of product or service design in improving safety standards. The awards recognise innovative thinking, regardless of the type or cost of the product or service.

All IMHX exhibitors can enter the awards and there are six different categories which encompass the whole materials handling industry.

These are:

• Industrial Vehicles

• Automation

• Goods-in/Goods-out

• Racking & Storage

• Technology

• Warehouse infrastructure

Products or services entered don’t have to be newly launched, but must be available at the time of entry and for at least six months after the awards are announced. The deadline for entries is 31st May 2016 and should be submitted via the form which can be found at http://imhx.net/design4safety The British Industrial Truck Association, BITA, is a substantial and dynamic trade association representing a membership of 73 forklift truck manufacturers, suppliers, service providers and media operating in the UK.

BITA is the voice of the industry in matters technical and legislative at the highest levels in Europe and internationally. It enjoys a close working relationship with bodies such as the UK Health and Safety Executive, the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the International Standards Organisation (ISO).

As a member of the British Materials Handling Foundation (BMHF) BITA is allied with the Fédération Européenne de la Manutention (FEM), the European manufacturers’ association of materials handling, lifting and storage equipment.

James Clark, Secretary General

Tel: 01344 623800

Email: james.clark@bita.org.uk

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