Returning to work is proving a challenge. Many employers are seeking all the help they can get to ensure they go back safely – while facing the most challenging economic downturn in living memory.

For those of us involved in materials handling it’s a time to reflect – to review the loads we move, the methods and equipment we use, and the number, safety and effectiveness of the staff on site.

“In short, we need to ask: is everything still fit for purpose?” says Stewart Gosling of RDD, the UK importer for Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks.

To help you figure that out, RDD has created a purpose-built Back To Work Health Check, designed to help busy managers to reassess their handling operations both now and in the longer term.

Available as a PDF or an interactive online questionnaire on the Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks UK website, it covers three key areas:

Site – puts the focus on what may have changed in recent times and what could affect future activities.

Equipment – explores whether handling equipment meets HSE guidelines (and forthcoming changes in legislation), the adequacy and safety of storage, as well as potential health issues from emissions.

People – covers everything from training regimes and pedestrian segregation, to manual handling procedures and social distancing measures.

Because it’s sometimes easier to talk things through with someone who’s done it all before, RDD is making available a free, no-strings, on-site survey.

“In many cases our role will be simply to confirm a manager’s decisions,” says Stewart Gosling.

“On others it may mean outlining new techniques and technologies which may not have been available when the customer was last in the market, but which could contribute substantially to safety or productivity.

“After all we’ve been through, there’s a tendency to focus solely on the things we’ve got to do in order to comply with official guidelines. But I think businesses owe it to themselves to explore changes that will allow them to return to work better than when they left. A few minutes spent doing the Back To Work Health Check will allow them to do that.”

To find more information on Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks, or to take the online Back to Work Health Check, visit www.mitsubishi-forklift.co.uk/en/eu/go-back-better or call 0845 3713048.

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