The U.K.’s Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) launched the safety awareness campaign in 2008 to help reduce the number of lift truck accidents at British workplaces. Literally every day, someone in the U.K. is hospitalized or killed by a lift truck, according to the association, which also says the accident rate doubles in September.
In conjunction with National Fork Lift Safety Week, the FLTA is offering free advice and resources on its Web site. This year’s theme, “Look out for each other,” applies to both operators and pedestrians.
Safety training firms are also offering educational resources to raise awareness throughout the material handling community. Newlands Training Limited, for example, created a quick checklist for companies to ensure they are observing correct procedures.
The checklist calls attention to the following safety measures: wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE); drive at a steady speed and within the capabilities of the truck; plan moves in advance to avoid unnecessary travel, wasted time and stress; read, understand and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations in the operator’s manual; wear the safety lap belt when operating the machine; and consider the environment when conducting maintenance, operating the truck and handling loads.
