opinion
bita opinion
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Safer by design
Safety in the materials handling industry relies as much on good product design as it depends on operational best practice. To recognise this BITA has created a new awards initiative that will form the centrepiece of its presence at this year’s IMHX event in November. James Clark, BITA’s Secretary General, explains.
a key element in reducing the risk of workplace incidents and BITA plays an active role in supporting operator and supervisor safety awareness training through its range of guidance notes and handy pocket-sized safety booklets.
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However, the other side of the safety equation is the ‘safer by design’ concept. Lift truck manufacturers and suppliers of all types of warehousing equipment, working in partnership with regulators and legislators through organisations such as BITA, have long played a key role in safety assurance by continually improving the designs of their products.
To recognise the contribution of good design to a safer work environment, BITA is launching a new industry Award scheme, Design for Safety, in conjunction with this year’s IMHX show.
The BITA / IMHX Design for Safety Awards will be open to all IMHX exhibitors – it is not restricted to lift trucks. I would like to encourage everyone who is planning to book a stand, or has already done so, to enter products from their range that best illustrate how design developments lead to increased user safety. Design for Safety will be one of the most authoritative and impartial award
nyone working in the materials handling industry knows that workplace safety is a primary concern. Safer working practices are
schemes available to the materials handling industry, thanks to a rigorous three-stage judging process that will assess all entries according to expert and impartial criteria:.
The IMHX website has further details on the scheme together with an online entry form – see:
http://www.imhx.biz/forms/dsa/. Stage 1: All entries will be shortlisted under different categories by an expert industry panel including
representatives of all relevant industry sectors, e.g. fork lift trucks, racking and shelving, automation, technology, safety clothing and equipment. This ensures that whatever part of the industry a product represents, there will be an appropriate category for it, and it will be judged on its merits. Stage 2: A panel of practising Health & Safety experts will be convened to evaluate all shortlisted entries and elect winners under each category heading that they consider to make the biggest impact on safety in the materials handling workplace. Stage 3: Visitors to IMHX in November will be given the opportunity to select a ”people’s choice” product from the expert- judged winners, as part of a special ‘safety zone’ display at IMHX supported by BITA. By participating in the Design for Safety Award, exhibitors will thus be able to achieve extra visibility and recognition for their company and products in the critical area of health and safety.
The winning products will be revealed in an Awards ceremony on the first day of IMHX (16 November), permitting the lucky finalists to celebrate their good fortune on their stands with staff and visitors during the show. The people’s choice product will be announced before the end of the show, but the spotlight will remain on this topic with follow-up press releases and a special feature in ShD as part of its post-show report.
The closing date for entries is 30 July, so I urge all ShD readers to consider now which of their product design innovations is most likely to catch a safety-conscious judge’s eye. Based on my knowledge of the industry and the enthusiasm of the team behind the BITA / IMHX Design for Safety Awards, I have no doubt that it will attract a really high standard of
“I urge all ShD readers to consider now which of their product design innovations is most likely to catch a safety-conscious judge’s eye.” James Clark, BITA
entries. Choosing winners from among them will be a difficult task, given the number of companies who work so hard to put safety right at the heart of their products. But I’m very much looking forward to celebrating with the winners in November.
Visit the IMHX site for more details:
www.imhx.biz.
www.PressOnShD.com April 2010 ShD 37
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