National Forklift Safety Day – Prevent – Manage – Learn from Forklift Incidents

The recently completed NFSD’s campaign slogan was Prevent–Manage-Learn. The campaign covered the seven stages of forklift incident. Every month a different stage was covered. In this News Article, we will summarise the main points of the NFSD’s forklift truck incident cycle, which are:

1) PREPARE – Forklift trucks is a large heavy piece of equipment and the employers must be prepared to ensure the safety of all employees and pedestrians. The key steps include:

The employers should be prepared for the use of forklift truck and have knowledge of PUWER 98 and LOLER 98 legislation which have important information on the tasks to carry out to ensure safety in the workplace
The forklift truck should be suitable for the task and regularly maintained
Lifting operations must be properly planned by a competent person
Thorough examination of the forklift truck by a competent person is a statutory requirement
Ensure all forklift truck operators are trained by an accredited training organisation on the three stages of training – Basic, Job Specific and Familiarisation
Ensure all forklift operators wear seat belts
Ensure there is a safe working environment with emergency and rescue plans in place
Forklift truck operators must be trained to recognise dangers such as damaged and unstable loads, pedestrians/co-workers in vicinity, impact with racking and trailer driveaway

2) RESPOND – This stage looks at how to respond when an incident occurs. The key points are:

The Emergency plan should include, contact list of people who can help, responsibility definition, skills within the organisation and information on where the first-aid materials are kept
Raise an alarm in case of the incident
Don’t get involved unless you are certain that it is safe to do so
First-aid should be administered by a trained person
Keep a record, including taking photos and list of witnesses
If necessary, contact; Police, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Local Authority
Contact insurance provider

3) INVESTIGATE – In case of a forklift truck accident, it is vital for an investigator to adopt an effective method to identify the cause of the accident. The investigator should:

Identify the final position of the load, forklift truck and any lifting accessories
Seek eyewitnesses
Take photographs of anything that may be relevant
Get CCTV footage if available
Make a decision on whether the work should be suspended until the investigation is completed
Restarting work may require a new temporary risk assessment pending investigation’s findings
The forklift truck must be expertly examined according to the regulations
The investigator must access if the forklift truck operator has received appropriate training

4) REPORT – Report according to the latest guidance and legislation for legal compliance. Failure to report may incur expensive fines, legal issues and puts the wellbeing of staff in jeopardy. Reporting of Incidents, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrence’s Regulations (RIDDOR) require employers to report serious accidents to HSE. These include:

Serious injuries and fatalities
If a member of public is involved and is taken to the hospital
Collapse/overturning of a forklift truck
Fire or explosion that takes a forklift truck out of service for more than 24 hours
Contact with overhead power lines

Accuracy is important when reporting. Notify relevant people of the key details of the incident. Record the incident in the company accident book. Carry out follow-up actions such as communicating with the staff, monitoring the situation and tracking improvements.

5) RESTART – Restarting work after a forklift truck incident require careful consideration and planning. Ensure the following for a successful restart:

Identify what went wrong and why
Appoint a single point of contact to log all evidence and communications
Review the extent of damage to people and plant
Check the condition of the forklift truck, all other equipment and facilities and ensure they are safe
Review previous accident and near miss reports to identify common factors that need to be addressed
Revisit risk assessment, operating procedures and training material
Investigate change if required
Consider if additional forklift training or refresher training is required
Listen to staff as they know your work best. Communicate with them so that they know what is happening and what is expected of them
Staff returning to work may need higher supervision or support

6) LEARN – learning from mistakes that contributed to forklift truck incident is key to enhancing safety. Common factors that contribute to incidents and possible remedies are:

Malfunctioning forklift truck – carry out regular maintenance, conduct regular inspections to identify issues and rectify them before they lead to failure and plan to replace outdated equipment
Inadequate forklift training – Provide training programs for all employees including frequent refresher courses and updates when new forklift trucks and procedures are implemented
Ineffective segregation method – Use clear signage, install physical barriers where appropriate and carry out regular safety reviews and make adjustments where necessary
Poor warehouse configuration – Implement design features that prioritise safety, add more speed limit signs, use warehouse management systems and install additional lighting

7) PREVENT – Focus on implementation of most effective prevention strategies to ensure that forklift incidents to not occur. One of the most effective prevention methods is near miss reporting and systematic response to potential hazards. Near miss reporting needs a proactive approach. The following can help:

Encourage – Make reporting easy and rewarding
Involve – Ask for input from everyone involved and provide feedback
Investigate – Find out what happened and why
Improve – Focus on improving systems and procedures rather than blaming individuals
Review – Ensure changes are enacted and effective
Encourage – reward reporting near misses

Overall, the UKMHA’s National Forklift Safety Day was hugely impressive. Visit their website as each cycle is accompanied by a video.

Wallace School of Transport including Forklift Training in London is a fully accredited RTITB company with over 60 years’ experience. You can be trained either at your own work site or at Wallace Centre in Park Royal. If you have any questions, call Wallace Forklift Training on 020 8453 3440, choose option 3 or click here to email us.