Lessons in cooperation

We are living under exceptional circumstances, and recently this has called for exceptional measures. Supply chains had to quickly adapt and meet high demand for essential goods, all while dealing with concern for the future of their operations.

Below are a few observations that may be relevant to your business, but I think one priority that is becoming ever more apparent is the need to act collectively in order to make our return to work as safe and comfortable as possible.

The FLTA is already making a significant contribution through its Access All Areas initiative.

Access for all

From Monday 27th April the Fork Lift Truck Association has opened up its online resource centre – normally available exclusively to our members – and made it available to everyone who needs it until the end of 2020.

As a leading authority on the use of forklifts in the workplace we felt it our duty to offer every possible support to UK businesses over the coming months. This move will allow visitors to sign up via the FLTA website to a wealth of information designed to ensure that users and owners of materials handling equipment stay safe and productive in challenging times.

Created to offer managers clear, relevant and up-to-the-minute information, the Safe User Group section will provide owners and operators of materials handling equipment with: Safer Site Pro (a unique step-by-step site-safety programme with interactive hazard diagnostics), technical bulletins, fact sheets, risk assessment documents, guidance on changes to legislation, a members’ magazine, bi-monthly Health & Safety newsletters and, for a limited period, use of the Safely Working with Lift Trucks video created by the FLTA’s Safety Partner Mentor FLT Training.

Training plays a vital role

Many key industries expanded their workforces in order to keep up with increased demand for supplies, or had to change the roles of those working with or around forklifts. Training therefore became – and remains to be – a key concern during the pandemic, and for good reason. Each year 1300 people working on or alongside forklifts are killed or seriously injured. These injuries aren’t just bumps and scrapes, they’re fractures, crushes, de-gloving and amputations.

Research shows that new starters are four times more likely to be involved in an accident, as a result of unfamiliarity with equipment, site layouts and procedures. Many incidents are caused by forklifts and pedestrians working too close together, so perhaps we can even learn something from our experiences of social distancing. By that I mean increasing the distance between staff and materials handling equipment, as this will undoubtedly help reduce the number of injuries from trapping and falling loads.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was quick to reinforce the continued requirement for forklift truck training. Forklift trucks are dangerous pieces of equipment, and the need to keep forklift operators safe, along with those working in close proximity, was considered essential.

Cost of accidents

Now more than ever, it pays to take care. Many goods are in high demand right now, and companies cannot afford to lose time and resources following an accident. In the UK alone, relatively minor spills and collisions cost business billions of pounds every year, and yet most of these costs are avoidable with just a minimum investment in better training.

We must also consider the true cost of those everyday knocks and scrapes. Over the length of a typical contract, bills for repairing damage to lift trucks are estimated to add as much as an extra 5 percent to a truck’s total rental price. Stretch this across a decent-sized fleet and you could be looking at a bill of as much as £100,000.

But this can pale in comparison to the fines companies could face if there is a sign of negligence following an accident, which have been known to run to millions in recent years.

Maintaining safe equipment

During this pandemic, materials handling equipment has been heavily relied upon to serve supply chains and will have undoubtedly been subjected to great wear and tear. It is therefore essential for owners to ensure that equipment receives regular Thorough Examinations to certify that it is still safe to use.
Thorough Examinations are required at least once every 12 months. This is in line with LOLER 1998 (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) which checks the lifting equipment, including mast, chain, carriage and forks, as well PUWER 1998 (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) which covers the vehicle itself, including brakes, tyres and steering.

CFTS, the body behind the national standard for Thorough Examinations of lift trucks, has a UK-wide network of providers who even during COVID-19 remain available to conduct inspections. However, this does require the cooperation of the equipment owner, as engineers must be allowed onto site and granted access to washroom facilities, if they are to do their job. Obstructing services like Thorough Examinations jeopardises the safety of forklift operators — a risk no company should take.

Adapting skills

Adjusting to a new normal was indeed a challenge for everyone. Many businesses have had to change the way they work, either through training new staff, or equipping managers with the necessary skills to oversee larger workforces. But the pandemic has also highlighted another issue where adapting will be essential.

Long before the events of this year, materials handling had been facing the problem of a lack of engineers. Many are retiring and there are not as many new trainees entering the industry. Changes to the movement of people within Europe, both due to Brexit as well as the after-effects of COVID-19, mean there is a skills gap that will not be filled by other nations.

The FLTA and F-TEC – the industry’s dedicated Forklift Training Engineering Centre – are addressing this with a new up-skilling course: IMI – Lift Truck Maintenance & Repair Qualification Level 3. It is suitable for someone who has experience with machines as an engineer, a knowledge of operating principals of combustion engines, and/or a knowledge of operating principals of electric vehicles. In addition to this course, the FLTA and F-TEC offer an IMI-accredited forklift truck apprenticeship scheme which equips delegates with the necessary skills to work on a range of equipment, including IC engine and electric forklifts. At a time when the materials handling and logistics landscapes are in a state of flux, up-skilling and apprenticeships may provide ideal opportunities for people looking to make a change.

Although it is hard to say what the situation will look like in the next few months, or even in a year, the FLTA and its members remain on hand to help the industry in every way possible. Whatever challenges appear on the horizon, we will overcome them together.