FEATURE LIFT TRUCKS REMEMBER 1ST SEPTEMBER
More than three people a day are hospitalised as a result of serious fork lift truck accidents. FLTA outlines key safety issues ahead of its month-long fork lift truck campaign Safetember
in the warehouse and in the yard. Mentor will share a limited number of PINs for its latest video training module: Safely Working with Lift Trucks. Designed to influence attitudes and behaviours of those who work with and alongside lift trucks, demand is expected to be high. Visit the website to secure your PIN and avoid disappointment.
Everyone has a part to play in making their sites and jobs safer both for themselves and their colleagues
O
n average more than three people are hospitalised every day as a result of a
serious fork lift truck accident. Yet these incidents are anything but ‘everyday’ for those involved: they change your life in an instant. Think about it: three people a day. If companies do not act together to buck this trend how long will it be until tragedy strikes your workplace and one of your colleagues loses a limb because a 2.5 tonne solid tyre fork lift truck shattered their shinbone? According to the Health & Safety Executive’s (HSE) own statistics the fork lift truck is the most dangerous form of workplace transport in the country: lift trucks injure more people every year than even HGVs or LGVs. With more than one million people in
the UK working with or alongside fork trucks the scale of the issue is significant. In this context, focusing intently on fork lift truck safety for 30 days does not sound too much to ask; we should really focus on it every day.
WHAT IS SAFETEMBER?
The Fork Lift Truck Association’s (FLTA) annual month-long fork lift truck safety campaign runs throughout September. A little over a decade ago the storage and warehousing industry was the UK’s worst for fork lift safety. However, through greater awareness of the big issues and engagement by key stakeholders its record improved significantly with accidents reduced by 77%. To achieve this previous FLTA Safetembers have targeted the risk to pedestrians in fork lift truck operations, the role managers and supervisors must play and the importance of engaging with
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every member of staff to nurture a culture of safety at FLT sites across the UK. Throughout Safetember 2016 the FLTA’s
key objective is to encourage lift truck drivers, their managers, supervisors and colleagues to take responsibility for their colleagues’ safety under this year’s theme:
MAKE SURE YOUR MATES GET HOME SAFELY This reflects and reinforces the FLTA’s belief that safety is a collective responsibility. While leadership must come from managers and supervisors, everyone has a part to play in making their sites and their jobs safer for themselves and their colleagues.
HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED? Safetember is not just for fork lift truck operators, supervisors, managers and safety personnel. It’s for everyone who works with or in close proximity to fork lift trucks. You can get involved by simply visiting the FLTA website where you can access a host of free online resources for things like induction courses, training sessions and toolbox talks, safety videos, downloadable posters and fact sheets. The FLTA’s web shop has a range of
tools to support you including cost- effective employee safety handbooks which spell out the dos and don’ts to anyone working close to fork lifts. The hugely popular Hazard Perception Test makes a welcome return by popular demand. Developed in partnership with Mentor Training this downloadable paper-based test provides managers and supervisors with a quick and efficient way of assessing staff awareness of common dangers associated with lifting operations
S1 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 | MATERIALS HANDLING & LOGISTICS
PRE-SHIFT EQUIPMENT CHECKS In terms of the equipment itself, a sound system of daily or pre-shift checks is your first line of defence when operating fork lift trucks. Your drivers should go through these at the start of each shift to ensure that potential defects are identified before they become a problem. This important procedure should be a
formal one recorded in writing each time and performed in accordance with instructions from the truck manufacturer. Typically, it will take 5-10 minutes. For guidance on which items should be covered by your pre-shift checks refer to guidance from your truck’s manufacturer or dealer. A Daily Checks booklet and digital app which simplify recording are available via the FLTA website. Importantly, when faults are identified the
truck should not be used until: Any resulting queries or concerns have
been reported to a manager or supervisor Advice has been obtained on warning
lights showing Any fault affecting safe operations has been rectified Remember: if you oversee operations
it is your duty to ensure that daily/pre- shift checks are carried out properly and
enforced. It is essential that you know what those checks entail. If in any doubt always seek advice from your supplier. Since all fork lift truck operations and
companies are different the FLTA is asking you to consider the best way that you and your staff can get involved in Safetember. Engage in the discussions on Twitter,
explore the wide range of resources on the FLTA website, check out the fact sheets, download the posters and videos, take part in the online assessment tool and do everything you can to try to ensure that the upward trend in accidents of this type is reversed and improved for the safety of all employees.
FLTA
www.fork-truck.org.uk
/ MATERIALSHANDLINGLOGISTICS
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