Peter Harvey, Chief Executive of the Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) explains how – regardless of sector or size – any business can raise its safety game… at little or no cost.
FLTA.
With lift trucks and personnel working in tight spaces, safe operations are anything but optional in the warehouse.
Each year 1300 people in the UK suffer life-changing injuries – such as dislocation or amputation – as a result of a lift truck accident.
However the fallout from an accident goes much further: impacting the injured’s family, friends and colleagues.
What’s more, it can significantly impact the employer – affecting morale, productivity, finances and more.
Because of this, it’s crucial to consider your operations and identify ways of making them safer (and probably more profitable and productive, too).
You could spend significant sums improving your site… but working safely doesn’t need to be costprohibitive. Here at the FLTA, we’ve identified three easy ways to transform your safety… and they don’t require much more than time and commitment.
#1 Raise awareness
Making all staff working with and alongside lift trucks aware of the real dangers associated with operations is key to running a safe site.
At the Bury Black Pudding Company, recognising a lack of awareness among workers on foot, they developed an in-house training solution that:
• Raised awareness of main risks (eg not being seen)
• Highlighted things you should never do near lift trucks (eg distracting drivers)
• Crystallised the responsibilities for employers, employees, drivers and pedestrians.
By using photos of real-life accidents, the company ensured there was no doubt among staff about how important it is to be alert and follow safety protocols.
Setting up an initiative of your own? Whether you’re planning an induction, training or a toolbox talk, the FLTA website is packed with resources.
#2 Show your hand
Miscommunication is a significant factor in lift truck accidents. With 30 years’ experience delivering workplace transport training, FLTA Safety Partner Mentor FLT Training sought a way of ensuring clear communications between operators and colleagues… even in a busy, noisy environment. Mentor’s ‘Show Your Hand’ campaign helps strengthen nonverbal communications between these two groups – in a straightforward way that’s easy to convey to any size of workforce. Though simple, if properly implemented, it could potentially save countless lives and prevent so many avoidable incidents.
For your FREE kit – including posters and videos – visit www.mentortraining.co.uk.
#3 Stay informed
Best practice and legislation are always changing – making it difficult for managers and supervisors to stay on top of things.
Our Safe User Group (SUG) gives you the information you need to work safely and legally – in a clear and concise way.
By joining, you’ll have exclusive access to a host of resources, including videos, publications, and more. As a Member you also unlock a discount for items from the FLTA web store, as well as events tickets.
FLTA
Tel: 01635 277577
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