Safetember is the Forklift Truck Association's (FLTA) annual month-long Fork Lift Truck (FLT) safety campaign, running throughout September. Working closely with media outlets, training companies, partner organisations and trade associations, the FLTA seeks to raise safety awareness with the aim of reducing the severity and frequency of forklift truck accidents in the United Kingdom.
This year’s campaign is backdropped by the latest HSE figures, which report that FLT accidents in the UK are, once again, on the rise. According to the HSE report, of the estimated 1 million Brits who work with or alongside FLTs, more than 1,100 people were seriously injured or worse. Richard Nichols, SG World UK Sales & Marketing Director, said: “Health and Safety professionals are generally aware that FLTs can be dangerous and are often categorised as one of the highest risks onsite, however the HSE stats show an increasing number of accidents in the UK. This year’s Safetember theme ‘Make sure your mates get home safe’ supports the importance of FLT safety not just being the responsibility of the Health and Safety Manager, but of everyone who may encounter a forklift truck."
The FLTA are making a whole range of free resources available to help managers and supervisors raise forklift truck safety awareness among their staff, including online tests and toolboxes. There is also a useful Safetember supplement publication covering all aspects of forklift safety including the importance of pre-shift checks: “a sound system of daily or pre-shift checks is your first line of defence. This important procedure should be a formal one – recorded in writing each time."
Richard Nichols said: “SG World help organisations with Fork Lift Truck Safety, whether it be by using its patented pre-use check products or its behaviour based safety range ‘BSafe’. Achieving a safe working culture is more important now than ever, as both the FLTA and HSE statistics suggest."
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