Saving life and limb
July 1st 2008

Two British workers will be killed by fork lift trucks this September, and up to 60 more will suffer very serious injuries. That’s unless a new awareness campaign, to be launched this year, can cut accident rates in what has been described as “the deadliest month of the year”.

Although they do an unparalleled amount of good work, the UK’s 350,000 fork lift trucks account for more serious accidents at work than cars and HGVs combined, hospitalising over 400 employees each year. Deaths occur, on average, every six weeks – increasing to around fortnightly in September.

National Fork Lift Safety Week (22nd – 28th September 2008) will mark the culmination of a month-long campaign by members of the Fork Lift Truck Association, the independent authority on fork lift trucks, attempting to reduce the accident toll.

Crucially, the Association’s safety message extends beyond truck operators, to work colleagues and members of the public. Statistics suggest as many as two thirds of accidents kill or injure someone who was not driving the truck at the time – meaning anybody visiting or working at one of the estimated 100,000 British business that use a fork lift truck could be at risk.

The message of this year’s campaign is therefore a simple one: “Pedestrians and fork lift trucks don’t mix”. Businesses of all kinds will be encouraged to take up a range of free safety resources available throughout September on the Association’s website www.fork-truck.org.uk, while those who are serious about improving their operations are invited to attend Safe Operations – the National Fork Lift Truck Safety Conference – on Thursday 25th September.

The week will also be supported by an online campaign and activity in the trade and national media, aiming to increase the UK’s awareness of the issue. FLTA chief executive David Ellison says: “Every day, someone in the UK is hospitalised in a fork lift accident that could have been avoided. Sadly, some are killed. Most of these people were not operating the truck at the time.

“We want people to be aware that whenever they see a fork lift truck – whether it’s at work or in their local garden centre or DIY store – they need to be careful, they need to keep clear, and they must certainly never assume the operator has seen them.

“Our aim is that nobody will be killed or injured by a fork lift truck during National Fork Lift Safety Week. To achieve such a target we need people to be alert, and to pass the message on to colleagues and friends. Vigilant managers, operators and other employees can make this happen!”

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