The UK Material Handling Association’s (UKMHA) flagship safety campaign, National Forklift Safety Day (NFSD), launched on 11th June. Backed by the slogan ‘Prevent – Manage – Learn’, this year’s initiative aims to raise awareness about what to do before, during and after an incident.
This multi-stage campaign involves releasing informative materials on seven separate days throughout the year, with each set of resources relating to a specific forklift safety strategy. By extending the campaign across seven months, the UKMHA aims to ensure that forklift safety remains top of mind for everyone who works in the material handling industry.
The initial phase of this year’s NFSD, Prepare, explored the measures that should be taken to reduce the severity and likelihood of an incident. The next instalment of the campaign, Respond, will focus on what operators and employers should do in the immediate aftermath of a forklift accident.
Commenting on the NFSD 2024’s Respond phase, UKMHA’s Technical Director David Goss said: “This stage of the campaign gives us the opportunity to help people gain a thorough understanding of how to respond to an accident safely and effectively. Although forklift accidents are relatively rare, operators, employers and other staff members need to know to respond and what to do to prevent an incident from becoming an accident”.
He continued: “Material handling companies can minimise the severity of the consequences associated with forklift accidents by preparing a comprehensive emergency plan and ensuring staff are trained and practiced in their responses”.
On 10th July, members and non-members will be able to access a selection of downloadable resources that cover several key topics, including emergency plans, how to ensure safety at the scene of an accident and best practices for securing evidence.
The UKMHA will share a range of materials via their website and social media pages, such as real-world case studies, an animated infographic and documents exploring common causes of forklift accidents and how to manage them.
While everyone has access to National Forklift Safety Day materials, additional resources will be made available exclusively to UKMHA Safe User Group (SUG) members.
Further details about the SUG and a membership application form can be found here: https://ukmha.org.uk/safe-user-group/
Follow this link to discover more about National Forklift Safety Day 2024: https://nationalforkliftsafetyday.co.uk/
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