Managing to be safe

Prevention is better than cure: how a penalty points system is changing forklift truck drivers’ attitude towards safety regulations.

Gay Sutton finds out what it takes to manage safety truly effectively.

Midnight sees the UK’s premier fresh produce market open for business in north east London. Around 300 forklift trucks whisk pallets of fruit, vegetables and flowers around the market halls until well after 1.00pm, when customers leave and commercial activity ceases for the day.

The market’s health and safety team’s challenge is twofold: the general public and forklift trucks are doing business in the same area; and the trucks are not the property of the market, they belong to the stallholders.

A rigorous safety regime operates across the market. There are designated footpaths, a strict 5 mph speed limit for forklifts in the hall and 10 mph outside, and drivers are allowed to drive on site only once they have produced a valid driving licence and current forklift training certificate and been issued with a site driving permit. They are required to wear high visibility jackets and the owners or operators are expected to provide evidence of a good maintenance record. These regulations are monitored and enforced by a team of 16 market constables and are updated as a result of continuous monitoring and risk assessment.

“We currently operate a system where if a driver has three strikes, they are suspended until they requalify,” explained a market spokesperson. “But as they can requalify during the warning period the penalty has little deterrent value. So we will be introducing a points-based system early next year. Both the forklift driver and owner will accrue points lasting from one to three years depending on the severity of the offence. Drivers exceeding the limit will be suspended for one month and must requalify before they can drive on the market again. The forklift will also be taken out of service for a week. This is a real deterrent, and puts the onus on the driver and the forklift owner.”

The market’s health and safety team’s challenge is twofold: the general public and forklift trucks are doing business in the same area; and the trucks are not the property of the market, they belong to the stallholders.

Taking the time to ensure a safe workplace is not just desirable; it is usually required by law. While each European country has its own legislation, the principles behind forklift safety are broadly similar across all nations, according to BITA, and are built around thorough risk assessments. Italian decrees focus on education where ‘truck drivers need to follow any kind of training which further reduces risk’. In France, forklift truck drivers are required to take theoretical and practical training as well as a health check before being issued with a five year licence by their employer.

“We currently operate a system where if a driver has three strikes, they are suspended until they requalify,”

In completion to the rules, governments appoint special institutions to check whether they follow these rules. In the Netherlands, the Ministry of Social Affairs & Employments uses the Labour inspection to monitor results. Companies can be screened both announced and not announced. Despite this, there has not been a decline in forklift incidents in the last decade. Besides adhering to the rules, it remains a core responsibility for the company to strengthen their own efforts.

Managing safety

There are two distinct chains of responsibility for safety in the forklift operating environment. “Essentially, the employer is responsible for ensuring the workplace is designed and effectively managed for forklift safety, that the right forklift has been provided for the job and that systems are in place for regular maintenance and inspections of the truck,” said Pete Lennon, head – workplace transport at the Health & Safety Executive. It is management’s responsibility to ensure the driver is properly trained, supervised, and operating safely.

“Unfortunately, the vast majority of accidents to forklift trucks are due to untrained and unlicensed operators,” said RoSPA trainer, Ian Whyte.

Driver training can be carried out in-house by a trained instructor or by an accredited training provider and is tailored specifi cally for the type of lift truck the driver will be operating. Only on successful completion of a theory and practical examination will a licence be issued. But drivers can become complacent, which leads to rising accident fi gures. Monitoring is essential, with refresher courses arranged to tackle falling standards and keep skills and knowledge current.

“It’s a matter of controlling what the drivers do by virtue of good supervision at all times,” Whyte said. “If they’re driving unsafely they should have their licence taken away.”

“Essentially, the employer is responsible for ensuring the workplace is designed and effectively managed for forklift safety, that the right forklift has been provided for the job and that systems are in place for regular maintenance and inspections of the truck,” Pete Lennon, Head - Workplace transport at the Health & Safety Executive

There will always be hazards, pedestrians and forklifts are in close proximity, so they should be kept apart wherever possible. The pressures of the real world mean that enforcement is not quite so easy. The workforce – including administrators – should receive training in the dangers forklifts present and how to stay safe. In most good companies this is also supported by highly visible signage, making it impossible to ignore pedestrian walkways and hazardous crossings.

Management is also responsible for assessing and monitoring the condition and layout of the site. Simple measures such as marking the edges of loading bays and pits, keeping operating areas free of obstructions, implementing one way driving systems, eliminating sharp corners, and placing impact protectors around the base of racking systems, pillars and equipment, can greatly reduce risks.

The right tools for the job

Choosing the right forklift for the job is critical; help with decision-making can be provided by the dealers.

“The only correct way to determine the right truck for the job is to do a detailed and comprehensive application survey,” said Paul Fox from UK Cat® Lift Trucks dealership, Impact Handling. “That includes looking at the products being moved and their format: pallet, cage, stillage or free produce. We assess the environment the truck will be working in and where the product will be taken: indoors or outdoors, placed onto racking and at what height, and so on.”

Having selected the right truck for the job, Fox recommends that drivers should take refresher training to update skills and familiarise them with new vehicles – even if a new truck is replacing an older one of the same type.

Lift trucks are generally supplied with details of their safe lifting weight and height. In practice, maximum safe lifting weight is affected by a combination of factors that may include the gradient and condition of the floor surface – particularly on construction sites – the lifting accessory being used and the nature of the load. The UK’s Health & Safety Executive believes the safe lifting load can be established in a generic risk assessment – but with the caveat that unusual loads are not uncommon.

“The forklift truck driver will use his skills to assess the best way of handling that load,” Lennon said. The driver has responsibility at the practical level. Operating the forklift is not simply about getting in, switching on, driving off and moving goods. He must constantly use his knowledge and experience to assess the weight and centre of gravity of the loads, for example, and decide how to move them safely, within the truck’s lifting capabilities and the operating environment. “The driver also has to be satisfied that vehicle has been properly maintained and should carry out a cockpit check to ensure that everything is in good order and working properly – before operating the truck.”

“The forklift truck driver will use his skills to assess the best way of handling that load,”

An effective preventive maintenance regime, as recommended by the manufacturer, will keep the vehicle in good condition and fully operational. This should be supported by regular weekly maintenance checks to catch any problems before they become hazardous. The law requires that lift trucks undergo a Thorough Examination (TE) once every 12 months.

Performed by an independent expert, the test is the equivalent of the MOT and comes complete with in depth report. “In France, forklifts must be checked by trained engineers every six months, through static and dynamic testing and parts safety checks,” said Nicolas Perez at Aprolis, France. And should an accident occur, this audit report is one of the fi rst documents an inspector would check. At the London market, constant reinforcement of the rules is seen as the foundation of improved safety standards.

“We’ve adopted a joint approach, negotiated between the health and safety team and the tenants association on the market,” the spokesperson said. “We want people to respect health and safety and not to perceive it as punitive for no reason. Our job is to ensure they work in a safe environment so that they protect their businesses and we protect people using the market.”

The safe working environment is one that constantly monitors, enforces and updates its safety practices. Embedding them as routine and sensible operational procedures makes it possible to overcome old habits and resistance to change.