Forklift Safety Celebrated In U.S. And UK

Forklift safety was a concern for both sides of the Atlantic Ocean when the Industrial Truck Association (ITA) and the British Industrial Truck Association (BITA) in the UK celebrated National Forklift Safety Day on Tuesday, June 9, 2020.

Due to the Coronavirus, both organizations were not allowed to hold public events to commemorate the event. However, the organizations held virtual presentations.

ITA streamed a program from a number of experts, including its current chairman, Jay Gusler, vice president of operations, Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America and Ioren Sweatt, principal deputy assistant of Labor at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Gusler noted, “Safety has been and will continue to be paramount to our industry. Collectively, we dedicate a tremendous amount of time and effort to ensure the safety of our products. From an industry perspective, the collaboration, through the ITA, has been instrumental in keeping our industry at the forefront of the latest developments in codes, and standards. Safety requires dedication, time and perseverance. We must take the time to ensure proper safety training is adhered to and make it a priority.”

Government officials, safety experts, and industry representatives discussed a variety of subjects including pedestrian and safety and temporary employee safety. The presentation emphasized the need for operator training across all aspects of the industry.

The program also allowed members of ITA and their dealers to participate in the virtual event through social media and other safe practices. The vent also helped raise awareness of safe practices in warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing plants and other environments where forklifts are used.

Toyota Material Handling indicated its support for the industry with a statement that focused on preserving the safety of forklift operators and pedestrians.

The statement said, “Building a culture of safety is imperative to successful operations, and Toyota’s forklifts are engineered from the ground up with the safety of your operators and other personnel in mind. The future of your associates’ safety should rely on a history of safety ingenuity.”

Dung the promotion; Toyota Forklifts dealers in the United States and Canada offered no cost forklift safety consultations to its customers.

(Source: forkliftaction.com)