Safely working with and around lift trucks

[Gerry1964]

Although the number of serious injuries caused by forklift trucks fell by 10% between 2000 and 2010, this improvement is simply not enough.

Britain’s roads are possibly safer for pedestrians today than they have ever been. Thanks to a concerted, collaborative effort between a range of UK bodies, the number of people injured on British roads fell by a massive 42% between the years 2000 and 2010. Sadly, the materials handling sector has failed to match this achievement.

Within the same period of time, the number of serious injuries caused by forklift trucks fell by just 10% and, while this is undoubtedly an improvement, it is simply not enough. With 1.5m people working in close proximity to lift trucks, thousands of accidents still occur every year, resulting in hundreds of serious injuries and several deaths. Clearly, the materials handling industry still has much to do.

Best foot forward

Protected by a seat belt and reinforced overhead guard, lift truck operators are more likely to injure others than themselves. In fact, their colleagues on foot account for nearly two thirds of all forklift accident victims and are, as such, the obvious candidates for safety training. It is vital that they are able to recognise the dangers associated with forklift operations, understand the relevance to their work and wellbeing and, perhaps most importantly, know how to respond appropriately.

While forklifts may be covered as part of an induction or on an ad-hoc basis, it’s clear that there are many sites where workers on foot don’t receive advice on safely working in the same area as lift trucks and other machinery.

Even when workers are informed, the repetitive nature of logistics work can make it easy for them to become complacent, and for bad habits to creep in – regardless of their role. Such bad practice can soon spread through a workforce and make dangerous behaviour the norm. Adhering to the ethos that real, long-lasting change requires a holistic approach, from the top to the bottom of a company, the hard-hitting training strikes home the importance of all personnel taking responsibility for lift truck safety.

There seems to be a common misconception that knowing how to keep yourself and others safe around forklifts is just common sense. But if you’ve never been trained to use a forklift, would you recognise all dangerous practice? Probably not.

For operators themselves, who should have already received lift truck training, such a course serves to refocus their attention on the serious consequences of bad practice, and remind them of their legal and moral responsibilities.

With great power

Of course, when it comes to lift truck safety, the buck ultimately stops with managers and supervisors. The 2013 update to L117, the Health and Safety Executive’s definitive guide to forklift operations, suggests that the HSE is keen to emphasise this point.

Furthermore, a 330% rise in the number of directors prosecuted under Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act between 2005 and 2011, and a 31% rise in successful convictions really drives the point home that you are accountable for the people under you and will face consequences if you fail them.

As many as 90% of managers and supervisors we encounter are not aware of their legal responsibilities, nor the consequences of an accident that results in a prosecution – let alone the numerous financial benefits to be gained from running a safe operation.

More often than not, managers have never even driven a forklift before, or received any kind of formal training. Indeed, research conducted by Mentor and the Fork Lift Truck Association suggested that drivers and their frontline colleagues had a much better understanding of the common hazards than their supervisors.

A supervisor who has little understanding of the risks involved in materials handling is not in any position to adequately protect his or her employees. L117 emphasises the absolute requirement for those in charge of forklift operations to receive adequate safety training.

A supervisor should be able to recognise both good and bad practice and have the skills to draw upon to confidently intervene if safety is being compromised or to identify any additional training needs. A company’s safety measures are only as good as those that implement them so, ultimately, it is the supervisor whose performance largely determines whether or not there is a safety culture at work.

Reaping the benefits

As if protecting your workforce wasn’t reason enough, there are also many financial benefits to be gained by creating and maintaining a safe working environment.

Obvious expenses incurred by forklift accidents include compensation, fines and damage to equipment, facilities and stock. But there are other costs to consider. Downtime, disruption, the loss of reputation, and decreased staff confidence and morale will all impact a business’ bottom line. What’s more, responsible forklift use could even improve fuel consumption and reduce vehicle wear-and-tear.

The materials handling industry has done well to reduce the number of forklift accidents in the last decade or so. However, we still have a long way to go. Only with proper training and sustained effort can companies meet their legal requirements, and promote a safe, productive work culture, thereby improving accident figures. It can be done.