Technology + training = safety
October 1st 2007

Most accidents involving forklift trucks can be avoided simply by providing the right training and kit for each individual task, explains Dave Moore, national sales and customer support manager at Toyota Industrial Equipment

With the Forklift Truck Association

(FLTA) reporting an increase in the number of UK workers fatally injured in 2006/07 - 241 compared to 217 in the previous year – exactly what is the materials handling industry doing to improve safety for forklift operators.

Collectively, forklift trucks are responsible for moving millions of tonnes of material each year. As these goods are often carried within busy work areas it is not surprising that the issue of forklift truck safety is of increasing importance to manufacturers, suppliers, employers and operators.

Employers themselves have duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of their employees and others who maybe affected by their work activities.

Training and initiatives

The British Industrial Truck Association (BITA) has a number of initiatives in place for the promotion of best practice in the workplace and particularly the many health and safety issues concerning materials handling. Most recently, BITA, in association with the FLTA, introduced the 'Thorough Examination' scheme - a 'MOT' test for forklift trucks.

Schemes and training programmes such as this are some of the most effective means of raising awareness amongst truck operators of standards and safety issues.

Not only can they help to reduce truck misuse, they can minimise both the human and financial costs that can result from workplace accidents.

Earlier this year the FLTA also launched the Safety 4MOST campaign with the aim of reminding managers and operators of their basic responsibilities with regard to the safe operation of forklift trucks. The four key components of this campaign are Safe Manager, Safe Operator, Safe Site and Safe Truck, a memorable check list for both parties.

Technology for today

Technological development is also vitally important to help prevent accidents, injuries and consequent loss in the workplace. It can also help to improve operational efficiency, with suitably trained drivers who are familiar with both the truck and any new features.

Toyota's latest internal combustion (IC) counterbalance forklift truck the Tonero, uses the industry's most advanced safety features and technologies to protect both the driver and goods. With the Safety+ option this includes automatic speed reduction which literally automatically reduces the speed of the forklift if a load is either too high or heavy. Such features are not a substitute for refresher training but they will reduce accidents, providing the driver maintains the required level of skill for operating materials handling equipment.

Developments such as Toyota's System of Active Stability (SAS) have raised industry standards for safety features, notably for increased levels of stability, monitoring critical factors such as speed, load and body roll – taking preventative action before an accident occurs.

Toyota was one of the first manufacturers to actively raise awareness about the basic rules of forklift safety, through booklets such as 'Using Forklifts Safely' and the award-winning 'Safe Manual Handling Guide'. The latter was produced in association with leading safety organisations such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the Health and Safety Executive.

Safety at work

Without the right working practices and driver training, any truck in the wrong hands is effectively a lethal weapon. Driver training is at the root of some of the most cost-effective controls within a manufacturing business. Good drivers save a business a huge amount of money and help to increase productivity significantly.

Badly trained drivers do the opposite.

Training should be continuous and other staff should also be made aware of the dangers posed by forklifts.

However, as good as drivers can be, there will always be an element of human error. It is in these situations that technology can play a vital part in reducing accidents. Any technology that can take decisions out of human hands or compensate for human error should be part of a company's contingency plan to reduce accidents at work, as it can help to save lives.

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