The Fork Lift Truck Association is calling upon its members to play a pivotal role in helping increase safety among fork lift truck users in September – the month that it reckons is traditionally the most dangerous for fork lift truck injuries.
It has chosen the theme “More skills, less spills” for National Fork Lift Safety Week which takes place from (19th – 25th September.
Chief executive David Ellison said: “There is a legal requirement for operators and supervisors to be trained, and this isn’t always understood. As a result, many trucks are still operated by people lacking sufficient skills and this is putting lives and businesses at serious risk.”
The association points out that fork lift trucks are the single biggest cause of industrial transport accidents. Over the past five years, more than 9,000 British workers – a rate of five per day – have been seriously injured by fork lift trucks, according to statistics from the HSE.
“Sadly, many of these accidents could have been avoided with the right levels of training in place. For this reason, our key aim for this year’s Safety Week will be to mobilise our membership to make owners and users of fork lift trucks aware of their training responsibilities.”
For more information on National Fork Lift Safety Week visit: www.fork-truck.org.uk
