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Short, hard-hitting forklift safety course launches
16 February 2016
Mentor Training has launched a safety awareness course focusing on the dangers presented by forklifts in the workplace – not just for operators – but for all those working alongside them.
Safely Working with Lift Trucks is a high-impact, cost-effective training course which promotes a safe working environment amongst operators and pedestrians alike, by targeting the behaviour at the root of bad practice.
At just two hours in duration, the course is hard-hitting, but concise, meaning up to 30 delegates in one day can benefit and at minimal cost to businesses.
The course targets anyone on site who works on or around forklift trucks – be they operators, supervisors or staff working in close proximity.
When it comes to accidents involving heavy duty pieces of equipment like forklift trucks, the consequences for those involved are often life-changing and according to HSE figures, pedestrians are just as at risk as operators, if not more so. Mentor Managing Director Stuart Taylor explains: “Almost sixty per cent of those injured by forklift trucks were ‘on foot’ at the time of impact. Unlike operators, many working alongside forklifts are unaware of the risks they pose and, more importantly, how to reduce them.”
This lack of awareness and a complacent attitude towards safety are at the basis of Mentor’s new course. Whilst acknowledging that many of the duties undertaken by workers on and around forklifts can be highly repetitive, it draws attention to the danger of allowing bad habits and complacency to become the norm, and reminds delegates of the potentially dire consequences for themselves, their colleagues and their company if they allow it to continue.
Stuart explains: “Whether working at a factory or warehouse, builders’ merchants or recycling facility, many of the duties undertaken by workers on and around forklifts are highly repetitive. These types of tasks can result in lapses in attention and a disregard for proper working procedures.
“Worse still, if left unchecked, these bad habits can quickly spread through a workforce, creating an environment where dangerous behaviour becomes accepted. So it is imperative, for the good of the workforce and the site, that a safe, positive working culture is cultivated and maintained.
“Even trained and experienced forklift drivers can overlook the dangers and fall into bad habits. Our new Safely Working with Lift Trucks course has been developed to refocus everyone’s attention: ensuring that everyone on site is fully aware of the hazards presented by forklifts, as well as the safety, practical and financial benefits to be gained by upholding safe working practices.”
He continues: “To maintain a safe working culture, the whole workforce must be part of your training plan. If everyone is on the same page, and has the same positive attitude towards creating a safe environment – be they pedestrian worker, forklift operator, manager or company director – you will see lasting results; to morale, safety and productivity.”
Safely Working with Lift Trucks
The course
• Developed as a cost-efficient way for organisations of all sizes to refocus everyone’s attention by targeting the behaviour at the root of bad practice.
• Aimed at operators and non-operators alike, the course is part of the ethos that creating real, long-lasting change requires a holistic approach, from the top to the bottom of your company.
• Conceived as a response to the on-going issues that face all those working on and alongside forklift trucks in all industries, including near misses, injuries, accidents and damage to stock, racking and trucks.
• Created to be highly interactive to engage lift truck operators and their colleagues on foot, generate discussion and mutual recognition/understanding.
• Contains hard-hitting content designed to evoke a response and influence behavioural change.
• Refocuses everyone’s attention by reminding trained operators and informing the unaware:
• Reminds all those working in the vicinity of lift trucks of the potentially devastating consequences of an accident.
• Informs non-operators, often omitted from lift truck safety awareness training, of what is good and bad practice, enabling them to recognise and avoid potentially dangerous situations.
• Encourages the entire workforce to take ownership of safety and assist in policing good practice, making this the only acceptable behaviour on site.
• Reminds the workforce that they are responsible for their own safety, as well as that of their colleagues.
• This is one aspect of a holistic approach to safety. We encourage organisations to ensure everyone is aware of the risks and is equipped to play their part in reducing them. Operators need to be trained, managers and supervisors must be confident and competent and your company needs robust policies that are encouraged and enforced, backed by support and commitment from senior management. These are a few of the key steps to fostering a positive safety culture and reducing the risk of injuries, as well as costly disruption and damage to stock, fixtures and fittings and the trucks themselves.
HSE Statistics
• Every year, forklift truck accidents result in approximately 1,000 serious injuries.
• Around 60% of those injured by lift trucks were “on foot” at the time of impact.
The cost of a forklift accident
• The record fine and costs for a UK forklift accident stands at £800,000.
• What’s more, legal costs are generally calculated by the HSE as ten times that of the combined court and fine costs.
Trial results
• Trials began in December 2015.
• Overwhelmingly positive response from operators and pedestrians.
• In each evaluation category, half of all attendees gave a perfect 10 out of 10 and three quarters gave 9 or above.
• The average overall score was 9.3.
• Delegates praised its ability to raise awareness of hazards and the potential implications of unsafe practice – by clearly showing the impact of an accident.
• Delegates also valued the hard-hitting video footage, described by one delegate as an “eye opener”.
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