As part of its commitment to raise safety standards across the material handling sector, the UK Material Handling Association (UKMHA) – the UK trade association for manufacturers, suppliers and users of forklift trucks and associated components and services – champions the cause on National Forklift Safety Day in tandem with their Safety Convention, which are both being held on 14th June this year.
This year the topic is Operator Training and, as Tim Waples, Chief Executive explains, this is a vital yet often overlooked aspect of modern warehousing. “As companies continue to invest in new material handling equipment, storage solutions and technology, it is imperative that operators are given adequate training to ensure they know how to use the equipment safely. Sometimes it is assumed that an operator who has been fully trained on a particular piece of equipment will be able to safely transfer those skills. Unfortunately, this can have serious consequences, which is why we have chosen this area to focus on for NFSD and our Safety Convention this year.
“Struck by a moving vehicle is the second most common cause of workplace fatality, accounting for 25 deaths in the year 2020/21. In addition, every year there are fatalities and serious injuries involving forklift trucks which could have been prevented if properly trained staff had followed safe systems of work.
“Nobody should operate a forklift truck, even on a very occasional basis, if they have not received the appropriate training. Employers are required to provide training and testing for all lift-truck operators they employ, and to ensure that anyone operating workplace transport on their sites is competent and fully trained.
“There are a number of organisations who provide accreditation for lift-truck training schemes, and they are represented by Accrediting Bodies Association for Workplace Transport (ABA). These schemes are intended to help set and maintain professional training standards as well as help employers select training organisations or lift-truck suppliers who offer a good standard of training.
“UKMHA work closely with accredited providers to ensure our membership has access to the latest information and training.”
For more information on National Forklift Safety Day and UKMHA Safety Convention visit: nationalforkliftsafetyday.co.uk/safety-convention
Tim Waples
Chief Executive, UKMHA
Comments are closed.