by Rachel Gearon | Apr 6, 2022 | Employment & skills, Industry news, RTITB, Training courses
We all know that safety guidelines are put in place for us all to adhere to, but putting this into practice can often feel like a chore in an already never-ending to do list. Incredibly, around 75% of critical incidents involve pedestrians who were completing tasks unrelated to the operation that was being carried out at the time of the incident. Adopting a culture of strict safety discipline in the warehouse could save more than just one life.
Many incidents involve pedestrians suffering crush injuries while trying to steady the load, or get involved in the loading or unloading of the forklift. These types of accidents and injuries are avoidable because the pedestrian should never need to be in the path of the forklift. There are many ways that this can be implemented in and around the warehouse:
- Designation
With designated operation areas, walkways, and clear signage in the warehouse you can remove any doubt or uncertainty. Consistent, clear instructions and directions that leave no room for ambiguity are essential. Of course, there are some grey areas that can’t be easily segregated, but in these areas safe working boundaries need to be communicated and upheld at all times. Establish safe operating distances and provide staff with guidance around forklift operation, and the loading and unloading of materials.
The most efficient warehouses make use of timetables to rotate staff to different locations, depending on the tasks they need to complete that day. This is to ensure pedestrian tasks aren’t being carried out alongside forklift tasks. Another useful addition to the warehouse is a traffic management system, such as one-way systems to reduce the risk of collisions.
Strong communication systems allow all members of staff to share the responsibility for keeping everybody safe. For example, co-workers need to be able to quickly and efficiently alert one another when an individual is in their workspace, or if somebody notices a truck losing its load during operation, or a driver leaving an unsafe distance between the truck and the pedestrian.
All of this and more is covered on our Forklift Training Course. Get in touch today to find out more.
by Richard Colligan | Mar 17, 2022 | Employment & skills, Industry news, RTITB, Training courses
It is reported that overall accident rates are lower in workplaces where the wider workforce participates in health and safety and employees feel they have a say. The awareness of the risks of slips and trips, for example, is supposedly greater (62%) where the workforce is consulted on health and safety issues, than when there is no involvement (28%).
What employers with workplace transport operations can take from this, is that to reduce risk of incidents, it’s important for lift truck operators to understand their role in health and safety and feel they can actively contribute. In research, 77% of the workforce felt encouraged to raise concerns in a good health and safety climate to 20% who felt encouraged to do so in a poor health and safety climate.
Forklifts are one of the most commonplace types of equipment in logistics and warehouse operations, yet they are also among the most dangerous – it is suggested that 8,000 workplace incidents involving lift trucks are reported annually. With this in mind, your forklift operators may be some of the best positioned employees to understand workplace risks related to material handling and to take an active role in contributing to health and safety improvements.
So, what can employers do to help engage lift truck operators in health and safety more and positively influence their behaviour?
- Communicate the impact of incidents
Having a culture where incidents are never just an inevitable part of the job is key. Moreover, operators should have a clear awareness of the potential impacts of a lift truck incident occurring. At the most serious end of the spectrum, this can include life-changing and fatal injuries.
To tackle these subjects effectively, two-way communication is needed between trainers, health and safety managers and compliance managers, and their lift truck operators. What this looks like will be different depending on your organisation’s size and culture. However, a lift truck operator training environment is one good place to have these conversations, especially as regular training of operators is required for compliance.
For novice operators, the eTruck UK forklift and reach truck theory eLearning solution from RTITB helps support this, and encourage behaviour change around risk. Rather than a traditional presentation-led style of training, eTruck tells the story of a lift truck accident and the chain of events leading up to it. Operators must engage with the story to understand and anticipate when, why and where the accident will occur. This gives a greater understanding of safe operating practices and the impact of an incident on the wider operation.
- Educate on the role of Managers and Supervisors
It would be easy for operators to feel that should any incident occur, that it’s not entirely their fault, and it is true that their Managers and Supervisors have a significant role to play. Incidents often occur as a result of poor or non-existent supervision, so to reduce risks and comply with the law, those in these senior roles must be correctly trained, just as operators must be correctly trained.
However, operators must be made aware that they do have a level of accountability and therefore must always operate to the safety standards delivered via their lift truck operator training and follow the organisation’s rules and processes around health and safety.
- It all starts with training
Employers must remember that for compliance and safety, lift truck training should always be the first step. It is vital for not only educating operators on how to use and work around lift trucks, but also how to reduce risks to themselves and others.
There is a mandatory level of lift truck operator training required for compliance, and it is crucial to keep this up to date with refresher training or conversion training (if required). This is an essential for employed staff, as well as temporary and contract workers. For safety, only correctly trained staff should be given an Authorisation to Operate equipment.
However, businesses should always continue to undertake regular risk assessments and assessments of operators to ensure optimum safety practices and deliver remedial or additional training as and where needed.
RTITB Accreditation could support safety in your operation.
by Richard Colligan | Mar 11, 2022 | Employment & skills, RTITB, Training courses
After successfully completing your forklift truck training, you will understandably be eager to get out and put your new, hard-earned skills into practice. Forklift driving is a career path where you are constantly learning and acquiring new skills as you become more experienced. Obtaining your forklift licence is just the beginning of your journey. So how can you be a better forklift operator?
Never Skip Checks
Forklift trucks can be extremely dangerous machines to operate. Always check the forklift truck over before starting a shift, even if a driver has just been using it immediately before you. We all know the feeling of a manic Monday morning, but it is vital that you take the time to go through a safety checklist before operating a forklift, each and every time.
Be Disciplined About Distractions
It’s always the tips that sound so obvious that are the easiest to disregard. It seems clear to say that driver’s should avoid any and all distractions while on the truck, but being disciplined about distractions can be easier said than done. Maintaining focus at all times is paramount to forklift truck driving safety, both for you and for those around you.
Keep Yourself Warm
Driving in cold conditions dramatically reduces your reaction times, so it’s best to make sure you are dressed appropriately for both the weather and warehouse conditions. This is especially important if your work takes you outside. Layers that can be easily added to over the course of the day are an ideal solution, and could make all difference in the safety of your forklift operating.
Ask For Help
It can sometimes be difficult to ask for help, but in forklift truck driving, there are no stupid questions. Always communicate, always make sure, and always double check. It is better to ask and eliminate all doubt, and all safety risks along with it. This way, you are in total control of the safety of your workplace.
by Richard Colligan | Mar 2, 2022 | Employment & skills, Industry news, RTITB, Training courses
Not All Your Time Will Be Spent Driving Forward
In fact, the vast majority of your time spent in a training session will be in reverse. Learning how to safely manoeuvre a forklift truck to back round corners, or to reverse into tight spaces is an underestimated skill. You will also learn how to move round the warehouse safely in every direction, while carrying a variety of different loads.
Previous Driving Experience Is Not Essential
Don’t be put off if you don’t have forklift experience already. The truth is that you don’t even need to hold a car driving licence to be able to train to drive a forklift truck. You will learn everything you need to know about how to safely drive a forklift on one of our courses, no matter your experience level. All you need to do is show up and come with a positive, can-do attitude.
Forklift Driving Is Different To Any Other Driving
Forklift trucks use their rear wheels to steer, and they have a 3 point suspension system. Simply put, this means that they are very different to handle than any other vehicle. For this reason, you will spend a good amount of time learning the theory and safety components of driving a forklift truck, as well as practical hands on sessions.
For more advice about Key Performance Training’s forklift driving courses call us on 01793 975353.
by Richard Colligan | Feb 22, 2022 | Employment & skills, RTITB, Training courses
We have partnered with RTITB, the UK’s leading accrediting body for lift truck operator training, to offer accredited, quality eLearning, as an alternative to classroom-based training.
Material Handling Equipment (MHE), and in particular equipment found in warehouses and distribution centres (such as reach trucks, counterbalance trucks, pallet stackers and order pickers, etc.), are an essential part of any business in the logistics chain, allowing businesses to manoeuvre goods easily between storage locations and vehicles. Unfortunately, there is an element of risk associated with any MHE, especially when it is operated in confined environments and/or around other people.
As an employer or supervisor of MHE operators, you are expected to oversee workplace safety, ensure operators will continue to perform to the safest and most efficient standards, report and resolve safety issues, and also ensure that administrative and training objectives are met.
RTITB’s “Managing and Supervising Material Handling Equipment Operations” eLearning course is designed to help you do just this, introducing candidates to the requirements of this critical role and the training and safe operating practices that should be at the heart of any MHE operation. This eLearning course is perfect for anyone looking to develop into a managerial or supervisory role within an MHE environment, and for those already in the role looking to improve their understanding of their duties.
View a preview of the Managers and Supervisors eLearning material
6 course sections providing approx. 3-4 hours of content
1. Health and Safety at Work
2. Regulations, ACoPs and Guidance
3. Operational Experience and Qualification Requirements
4. Administrative Responsibilities
5. Operator Training
6. Operational Safety
How it works
All eLearning material is available to access anytime, anywhere with an internet connection and can be used on multiple platforms such as tablets, laptops and PCs/MACs. Candidates simply log on to the eLearning platform (an email will be sent following license purchase to create an account) and work their way through the course.
As an RTITB eLearning provider, we help to change behaviour for the better and improve safety in transport and warehousing operations through compliant training and testing.
To get started with RTITB eLearning and learn more about our course offering, availability, and pricing, contact us on 01793 975353.
by Richard Colligan | Feb 18, 2022 | Employment & skills, Industry news, RTITB, Training courses
A yacht manufacturer has been sentenced after an employee was injured when his forklift overturned.
Back in August 2018, an employee was injured whilst helping to unload a delivery at the company’s site. The Counterbalance (Forklift) operator was operating a forklift truck in tandem with another driver to lift a large load from a flatbed lorry. Part of the load was lifted to allow the LGV/HGV to move forward however this caused another part of the loads to become unstable and fall against the mast of his lift truck causing it to overturn. He sustained both ligament and muscle damage to his ankle and was unable to return to work for five months as a result.
Having conducted an investigation, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the lifting work had not been planned safely or risk assessed. The employees were not aware of relevant procedures and there were safer alternate methods available which had not even been considered.
The company was fined £200,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,138.20 after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
HSE Inspector Hatti Shipp said: “The risks associated with unloading vehicles should be recognised and controlled. Complex lifts including handling heavy or unusual loads require careful planning and additional considerations. This incident could have been avoided if safeguards had been put in place. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
