As many in industry enter their busiest period of the year,
one of the leading providers of short-term forklift truck hire
is warning fleet operators to refresh their health and safety
procedures and make sure they can safely cope with deman

With Christmas fast approaching,
warehouse and distribution
centres across the UK are striving
to keep the shelves topped up over the festive
season. Historical studies commissioned by
Briggs Equipment suggest this sudden
increase in workload can lead to a
disproportionate increase in accidents
involving forklift operators, and managers
need to face up to a number of challenges
according to Allan Parsons,the firm’s asset
manager.

“From our own experience and previous
industry research we know there is a clear
link between increased activity in the pre-
Christmas period and the number of
accidents, but the reasons behind this are not
so clear cut,” explains Parsons.

“A study carried out several years ago
suggests that 10 to 15% of all accidents are
the result of inadequate training and this is
likely to become a greater risk during busy
periods when agency or other temporary
staff are employed to cope with demand.

“However, other factors may also
contribute to the problem, including more
experienced staff taking procedural ‘short
cuts’ to keep up with the increased workload.”
Having identified these issues, Briggs is
stressing the importance of re-enforcing
health and safety procedures to its growing
list of short-term hire customers. In the last
few months it has seen a 70% increase in
demand for its fleet of 3000 forklift trucks.

Parsons goes on to say that there are
simple steps that businesses can take to
reduce the risk of accidents, which not only
have a human cost but a significant impact
on productivity. These include making sure
that all temporary staff are fully familiar with
both the work environment and the
equipment they are using, perhaps by
introducing a thorough induction process if
one is not already in place.

Longer-serving staff also need to be
reminded of their obligations and Briggs
suggests now would be a good time to hold a
brief seminar.

Parsons comments: “Most importantly
managers need to recognise that safety could
be compromised if there are insufficient staff
or equipment to cope with increased
demand over the Christmas period.”Put staff
and equipment under too much pressure and
there will be a greater temptation to take
short cuts and therefore a greater risk of
accidents.

“Accidents can be costly in terms of
downtime and possible legal action, failure
to invest in temporary resources to cope with
the rush – even in a difficult economic
environment – could prove a false economy.

“The temptation to ‘make do with what
we’ve got’ may be greater than ever this year
due to the current economic uncertainty, but
businesses that have already made cut backs
may be even more at risk of accidents as
‘overstretched’ becomes ‘overwhelmed’
during the Christmas rush.”
Parsons says that Briggs Equipment is
playing its part by ensuring that the Yale
forklift trucks it supplies on a short-term
hire contract are fully serviced with LOLER
certificates and meet the highest safety
specifications.

“From side-loaders to heavy duty lift
trucks, all Briggs vehicles are renowned for
their ease of operation and are equipped
with the latest technology to further reduce
the risk of accidents,” he concludes.

Furthermore, Briggs Equipment is
making it easier for companies to safely meet
increased demand through its flexible hire
terms that can even include next day
delivery. As the company does not invoice in
advance, customers pay for what they
actually use instead of guessing, with overor
under-charges adding to the hassle during
the busiest time of year.