In the national spotlight
August 1st 2010 Now in its third year, the FLTA is
confident Fork Lift Safety Week is
having an impact on accident rates
and is determined to further build
safety awareness
Fork lift truck safety will be placed in the national
spotlight this September with the return of the Fork Lift
Truck Association's National Fork Lift Safety Week
campaign.
Aimed at bringing the urgent need for safer fork lift
operations into the public consciousness, the event will take
place from the 20th – 26th September 2010.
Now in its third year, the national awareness campaign was
launched in response to the alarming fact that at least one
worker in Britain is hospitalised or killed in an accident
involving a fork lift truck every day.
The campaign has been well-received by the public, thanks
to efforts from FLTA members and coverage within the
regional, national and trade press, with encouraging results.
The latest fork lift truck statistics from the Health and Safety
Executive show that since the introduction of the campaign
(2008/09):
All types of injuries have fallen below the average for the
previous 7 years.
Recorded injuries overall dropped by almost 25% (the
lowest level since 2000).
While it's far too early to credit this marked reduction in
accidents to Safety Week alone, the FLTA is encouraged by this
significant improvement. FLTA chairman Martyn Fletcher says:
"These figures demonstrate the difference that individual
workers, managers and fork lift truck operators can make with
just a little more care."
The fall in lift truck incidents contrasts sharply with
accident figures for other forms of workplace transport, such
as Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs), which remained broadly static
or even increased year-on-year.
Workplace transport analysis on the HSE website states:
"The number of accidents involving LGVs has remained
broadly flat over recent years, but the number of FLT injuries
fell sharply over the last year, leaving it 13% below that in
2001/02 for the first time."
Most strikingly, fork lift truck-related deaths and injuries
among members of the public plummeted last year to a full
59% below the average; a statistic the FLTA hopes is a
reflection upon the broad targeting of its safety message.
The latest figures accelerate a downward trend which started
in 2007/8.
Despite the continued fall, however, fork lift trucks remain
the most dangerous kind of workplace transport, accounting
for more deaths and injuries than the next two categories
combined.
The upcoming campaign aims to do more than simply stop
the fork lift truck accident toll from rising again; it strives to
push it down further. Fletcher continues: "As far as we are
concerned, the accident levels are still too high. In the year
2008/09, there were almost 1,700 injuries involving fork lift
trucks which required the victim to take at least three days off
work. Sadly, many fared much, much worse."
To achieve this, the FLTA has vowed to keep up the pressure
and ensure that safety tops the agenda for anyone managing,
using or working alongside fork lift trucks. The message of this
year's campaign is Manage to be safe.
FLTA chief executive David Ellison explains: "Anyone can be
injured by a fork lift truck, so everyone needs to be aware of
the precautions necessary when working with or alongside
them. There is always going to be some scope for accidents
around fork lift trucks, but the odds can be radically stacked in
favour of avoiding injuries with just a little awareness and
investment.
"For the last two years we have focused on increasing public
awareness, particularly among those directly affected by fork
lift operations. This year we will extend this crucial message to
Britain's bosses by encouraging both individuals and
companies to manage to be safe.
"Every person involved in the operation of fork lift trucks
has a duty of care.While managers are responsible for putting
safe strategies in place, workers have an obligation to speak up
when they see something unsafe. By working together, they can
achieve significant improvements in site safety."
As ever, fork lift truck users and suppliers will have plenty of
opportunities to get involved in Safety Week activities. Free
posters and other materials will be available on the FLTA
website (www.fork-truck.org.uk) from 1st September 2010.
During the month of September membership of the FLTA's
Safe User Group (see Join the Club opposite) will be available
at a reduced rate. New members will receive a 10% discount
plus three months free access to the safety guidance they want
and – more importantly – need.
Handling & Storage solutions will be officially working with
the FLTA throughout its preparations and the week itself, so
check upcoming publications for more information, or visit
the FLTA's website at www.fork-truck.org.uk.
What's your risk?
Heightened risk awareness helps supervisors and managers
effectively minimise potential threats in the workplace.
Statistics from the Health and Safety Executive have identified
that certain groups are more likely to be involved in a fork lift
truck accident.
Pedestrians
As many as two thirds of forklift truck accidents kill or injure
someone who was not driving the truck at the time – meaning
anyone visiting or working at one of the estimated 100,000
British businesses that use a fork lift truck could be at risk.
Older workers
Far too often, we hear stories of fork lift truck fatalities
involving a victim nearing retirement age. Sadly, these are by
no means an exception.While younger
operators are commonly associated with
dangerous driving and other accident
categories, HSE statistics indicate that it is
employees between the ages of 45 and 60 who
are most at risk in the workplace.
Workers in the North
There is a North/South divide in the number
of fork lift truck accidents, with twice as many
people being hospitalised or killed north of
the Watford Gap (see the map opposite).
Yorkshire and the West Midlands account for
the top seven danger zones in the FLTA's list
of the UK's top 10 accident black-spots. The
South does not escape incident-free, however;
Milton Keynes is eighth on the list with 150
serious accidents over the last seven years –
almost one every fortnight – and is closely
followed by both Northampton and Thurrock
in Essex.
Men
Research indicates that men are far more
likely to be involved in a fork lift truck
accident than their female counterparts.
Even when the difference between the total
numbers of men and women working in the
vicinity of trucks is taken into account, men
are still five times more likely to be killed or
put in
hospital.
Top 10 Accident Hotspots
1. Birmingham,West Midlands
2. Wakefield, Yorkshire
3. Leeds, Yorkshire
4. Doncaster, Yorkshire
5. Sandwell,West Midlands
6. Bradford, Yorkshire
7. Walsall,West Midlands
8. Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
9. Northampton, Northamptonshire
10. Thurrock, Essex
Join the club
For those wishing to stay up to date, the FLTA's Safe User Group
offers managers responsible for the safe operation of one or more
fork lift trucks a cost-effective way to obtain practical guidance and
regular updates on legislation, health and safety and best operating
practice.
Visit the FLTA website – www.fork-truck.org.uk – for further
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