EU Regulation 2019/1020 (EU MSC) enters in to force on 16 July 2021. It does not apply in Great Britain, but, for as long as the Northern Ireland Protocol is in place, EU rules on goods, including those relating to market surveillance and compliance will apply in NI.
For Great Britain the applicable legislation continues to be the Regulation for Accreditation and Market Surveillance (GB RAMS) and there is no change to the current requirements. GB RAMS was adapted from EU Regulation 765/2008 (EU RAMS) to stand alone in the UK post Brexit by schedule 33 of The Product Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. The adaption confirmed UK authorities responsibilities and removed links to the EU.
For Northern Ireland the applicable legislation for the period 1 January 2021 to 16 July 2021 is EU RAMS even where the relevant market surveillance authority is based in the UK. There is official guidance available here.
EU RAMS is supersede by EU MSC on 16 July 2021 and the official guidance covering NI has not yet been published. However, the UK Government’s Office for Product Safety and Standards has briefed us as follows:
Responsible Economic Operator
To place certain products on the EU market, there must be an economic operator established in the EU responsible for certain compliance tasks. This also applies to products placed on the NI market. The responsible economic operator can be based in NI this will be sufficient for placing products on NI and EU markets. The name and contact details of the responsible economic operator must be indicated on the product or on its packaging, the parcel or an accompanying document.
The responsible economic operator based in NI (or the EU) can be:
Note 1: Mandates for authorised representatives should be updated to include the tasks in Article 4 of EU MSC
Note 2: The role and responsibilities of fulfilment services should be clearly agreed and they must be provided with the means to meet these, e.g. compliance documentation.
The economic operator responsible for compliance must:
Products within scope
| ATEX | Construction products | Eco design |
| Electromagnetic capability | Gas appliances | Low voltage electrical equipment |
| Machinery | Measuring instruments | Non automatic weighing instruments |
| Outdoor machinery (‘outdoor noise’) | Personal Protective Equipment | Pressure equipment |
| Pyrotechnics | Radio equipment | Recreational craft |
| Restricting hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (‘RoHS’) | Simple pressure vessels | Toys |
Fulfilment services
A fulfilment service is defined as a business which offers at least two of warehousing, packaging, addressing and dispatching, in the course of commercial activity without having ownership of the products involved.
This does not include postal services, parcel services or other freight transport services.
If a fulfilment service is established in NI (or EU) when no other operator listed in Article 4 is, then they are responsible for compliance.
If you have any questions or concerns then please contact [email protected] for further information.
Winners of 26th UKMHA Awards for Excellence announced
The much-anticipated UKMHA Awards for Excellence was streamed live on Saturday 10th April to reveal who would finally be crowned winners.
Having been twice postponed due to the pandemic, the event was taken online – a first for the UKMHA in its history of holding the Awards.
On Saturday night, audiences tuned in for an evening of cocktails and celebrations, hosted by compere Rebecca Mordan. Throughout the evening, familiar faces from across the industry made an appearance to announce the winners in 10 categories.
Supportive teams
The first winner of the night was B&B Attachments, who won Supplier of the Year, sponsored by Yale. This award speaks volumes about B&B Attachments as it is voted for by UKMHA members themselves.
The remaining award winners were selected by a jury of industry experts, with Dealer of the Year, sponsored by Combilift, going to Truckmasters Handling.
With safety being a cornerstone of the UKMHA, the Safe Site Award is always an inspirational one. This award, sponsored by Carrylift, went to Devenish Nutrition for its proactive approach and commitment to improving safety across multiple sites.
Pick of the Year
The most hotly contested awards of the night are always the sought-after Pick of the Year product accolades.
The Environment Award was sponsored by TVH, and went to JCB for its 30-19E — the world’s first electric telescopic forklift. This new product has zero emissions and minimal sound pollution, making it ideal for urban environments.
Earning its tenth award to date, Combilift received the Innovation Award, sponsored by IBCS. Its Electric Front and Rear Wheel Drive Combination impressed the panel with its clever design and how it handles long loads in the tightest spaces while minimising tyre wear.
When it comes to keeping operators comfortable, Linde proved top, with its N20C Steering Wheel winning the Ergonomics Award, sponsored by Triathlon Battery Solutions. The ergonomics of the steering wheel were truly designed with the operator in mind, removing a great deal of stress and strain throughout long shifts.
The Safety Award, sponsored by F-TEC, went to Hyster for its hinged elevating operator cabin for the Hyster® RS46 ReachStacker. The jury noted the excellent visibility afforded by the cabin, eliminating the need for cameras or spotters, who would potentially be at risk.
Individual achievements
Sponsored by Doosan, the Apprentice of the Year Award honours the hard work and dedication put in by the industry’s newest recruits. Kieran Hale was named winner, and received a cheque and certificate.
The Services to the Industry Award, sponsored by Flexi, was won by Richard Hayes, in recognition of his work at Brindley Lift Truck Services as well as his invaluable contributions to the UKMHA and CFTS over the years.
The final honour of the night was the Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Toyota Material Handling. Given his extraordinary career at Hitec and unwavering commitment to customers and staff alike, Lifetime Achievement was awarded to Prospero Girardi, who now finds himself in exclusive company as only a handful of people have ever received this award.
UKMHA Director Tim Waples said: “The UKMHA Awards for Excellence highlights the remarkable accomplishments of the sector and this year was no exception. We would like to offer a big congratulations to our well-deserving winners.
“It is also important to recognise the efforts of the other nominees in each category. All of the entries we received represent a clear commitment to delivering unrivalled services and ingenious products designed to make a real difference to the industry.”
As well as coming together to celebrate the sector’s best and brightest, ticket holders were also entered into a Grand Prize Draw, sponsored by Hubtex. Premium prizes were awarded to winners throughout the night, adding a few extra surprises for a lucky few.
“It was a fantastic night and even though the music and dancing couldn’t happen in person, we hope the audience had fun continuing the after-party at home,” added Tim Waples.
“We would like to sincerely thank all our sponsors: Combilift, Carrylift, Yale, Toyota Material Handling, F-TEC, IBCS, TVH, Triathlon Battery Solutions, Flexi, Doosan and Hubtex; our supporters: Transmon Engineering, JCB and DLL; and our media partner Handling and Storage Solutions.
“I look forward to the time when we can once again gather together to celebrate the achievements and innovations within our industry.”
The 26th UKMHA Awards for Excellence is available to watch on YouTube here.
Below follows a full list of the awards, winners and sponsors:
| Award Category | Winners and Highly Commended | Sponsor |
| Supplier of the Year | Winner: B&B Attachments | Yale |
| Dealer of the Year | Winner: Truckmasters Handling | Combilift |
| Safe Site | Winner: Devenish Nutrition Highly commended: HowdensForticreteKellogg’s | Carrylift |
| Safety | Winner: Hyster Highly commended: Mentor FLT Training | F-TEC |
| Innovation | Winner: Combilift | IBCS |
| Environment | Winner: JCB | TVH |
| Ergonomics | Winner: Linde Material Handling (UK) Ltd. | Triathlon Battery Solutions |
| Apprentice of the Year | Winner: Kieran Hale Highly commended: Wesley EdmundsCaleb Coleman-MorleyStewart Denmark | Doosan |
| Services to the Industry | Winner: Richard Hayes | Flexi |
| Lifetime Achievement | Winner: Prospero Girardi | Toyota Material Handling |
Leading forklift industry body stresses importance of company-wide safety plans
With the NHS under great pressure due to the pandemic, now more than ever it is imperative that incidents requiring medical assistance, major or minor, are avoided.
Due to this, the UK Material Handling Association has stressed the importance of creating a ‘safety culture’ at businesses beyond just making site changes.
As Tim Waples, Director of the UKMHA puts it: “A company’s safety culture is what happens when the management isn’t there. If the only thing keeping people from breaking the rules and cutting corners is having someone watch them, then safety simply hasn’t made its way into the company culture.”
While physical changes to a workplace are important (such as improved signage, more clearly-defined walkways, better segregation between pedestrians and forklifts etc.) the Association believes that this is only half the job.
Getting the entire workforce engaged with the company safety plans and wholly onboard with ongoing changes is a vital step that’s often overlooked.
“Knowing what has to change and making those changes is a solid first step,” explains Tim Waples, “But without that buy-in right from the top of management down to the shop floor, it won’t last and you’ll soon be back where you were before.
“It’s not an overnight process, and cultural change takes time and hard work, but if you can motivate everyone to take responsibility for the process, then it’s a lot easier.”
The UKMHA’s Safe User Group has a wealth of practical resources to improve site safety in noticeable but low cost ways. It provides tools to start the safety journey and to keep the conversation going.
Visit https://ukmha.headwall.tech/safe-user-group/ for more information on SUG membership benefits and how to join.
Tapping into the unique knowledge and resources of a reliable trade organisation can make all the difference to the safety of your operations says the UK Material Handling Association.
Staying safe means following correct guidance, but it’s not always easy to identify what that is… or where to find it
When the pandemic began, it quickly became apparent that all those involved in materials handling – from companies who supply and service the equipment right through to those who own and operate it – were in dire need of concise, authoritative and up-to-the-minute information, along with clear guidance and the tools to help them implement it.
The UK Material Handling Association responded with its COVID-19 Resource Centre, which is still available, still being constantly updated… and still free for all to access via the UKMHA website. As the nation enters a third lockdown, the UKMHA will continue to provide support and materials where needed.
Tim Waples, Chief Executive of the UK Material Handling Association (of which the UKMHA is a member company), explains: “Providing highly targeted and trustworthy advice is something that only a fit-for-purpose trade association can deliver. Uncluttered by political considerations, a good trade association understands the needs and mindset of its various communities, the pressures and issues they face, and the answers they need to function safely and efficiently, especially in a crisis.
“Only a trade association has the capability to be both specific and prescriptive in its guidance. At any time, it should be a trusted source of relevant information, sound advice and practical tips, simply because it brings a level of awareness and industry-specific expertise that no other body can hope to match.”
For this reason, companies are urged to choose a supplier whose membership of an association such as the UKMHA makes them such a highly informed and trusted partner.
“Every UKMHA member must successfully undergo a 100-point site audit to ensure they work to the highest standards,” said Tim Waples. “They must also abide by a Code of Practice that holds them accountable. We put them through the sternest possible checks so you, as a customer, don’t have to.”
UKMHA members benefit from the latest technical guidance and legislation updates, and they have access to a wealth of safety resources. This enables them to act as fixed, reliable points of reference, and equips them with the knowledge to help you navigate changing circumstances.
As well as working with trusted suppliers, it can also be helpful to join a user-group if you own or operate materials handling equipment.
The UKMHA’s Safe User Group was created to provide companies with the tailored information and resources they need to stay up to date with both safety and best practice.
For example, SUG members receive:
“SUG members agree to a code of practice to ensure they meet the highest standards in planning, operations, training, forklift maintenance and supervision,” added Tim Waples. “It demonstrates a commitment to safety and shows staff, customers and inspectors you mean business.
“Whether you join an association, or decide to work with a trade body member, you can take comfort in knowing you are doing something simple but positive to maximise on-site safety.”
The UK Material Handling Association (UKMHA) is pleased to announce that it has become a founding member of the new UK Material Handling Association (UKMHA).
The UKMHA has been formed by the merger of the UK material handling industry’s two most respected trade associations, UKMHA and the British Industrial Truck Association (BITA), together with their co-owned subsidiary Consolidated Fork Truck Services (CFTS), the accrediting body introduced to deliver the first national procedure for Thorough Examination.
The purpose of the UKMHA is to represent all the interests of our diverse industry and to ensure it has a single, authoritative voice.
Initially, the UKMHA will act as an umbrella organisation, under which the two founding associations will continue with their work but with greater collaboration than before. The full merger of the two brands will complete at a later date. The merger is intended to strengthen the offering of the combined organisations, enhancing the services delivered to members and all those who own and operate forklift trucks.
The UKMHA members will now benefit from BITA’s invaluable range of specialist publications, encompassing best practice and health and safety assurance, as well as technical guidance notes and unique market insight. The association will also make available important UK sales data to the entire membership. In addition, all members will now receive discount rates for exhibiting at IMHX.
In return, BITA’s membership will benefit from access to the UKMHA helplines for HR, Tax, Health & Safety and Legal advice.
Tim Waples, UKMHA Chief Executive, said: “Our core values remain as they always have, and we will continue to deliver the same services to our members as before, only this will be under the auspices of the new UK Material Handling Association.
“The intention is that by uniting the roles of UKMHA and the BITA under the umbrella of one organisation, the interests of all members will become better aligned, providing the industry with greater clarity, and enabling the new association to speak with one voice and with greater authority on the key issues affecting both its membership and the wider material handling industry.”
High on the agenda for the new association is improved safety standards. Both associations actively promote higher safety standards across the material handling industry; BITA through initiatives such as National Forklift Safety Day and the UKMHA through the Forklift Safety Convention and the Safety Drive. These initiatives will continue to be advocated by their respective associations under the banner of UKMHA.
Dealers will benefit from the new association’s increased scope, offering them the opportunity to develop stronger relationships with manufacturers. In addition to providing better links to manufacturers, the new association will also be able to petition more effectively on behalf of its dealer members by tapping into BITA’s strength in lobbying government, thereby raising the profile of the industry with important legislative bodies.
Stronger input from manufacturers, together with health and safety bodies, will also fuel the work done by both the UKMHA and BITA in campaigning for improved equipment standards, better training provision for all FLT users and a further roll-out of apprentice programmes.
The development of a more robust code of practice will improve confidence levels amongst all end users of material handling equipment and uphold the new association’s code of Lifting standards together.
The UK Material Handling Association (UKMHA) has revealed details of a comprehensive on-site Audit that demonstrates UKMHA members work to “demonstrably higher standards” than non-compliant companies.
Tim Waples, Chief Executive of the UKMHA explains: “There are many companies who can rent or sell you a forklift and each will tell you they’re the best. But few, if any, can back that up with solid evidence.
“Your local UKMHA Member can. To gain and retain their membership, each must abide by a stringent Code of Practice and must successfully complete the UKMHA Member Audit.
“That Code of Practice is evidence the member is competent to survey a site (taking the time to understand the application, safety requirements as well as future plans), offer expert advice and then specify the most appropriate equipment.
“Underpinning that Code is the UKMHA’s rigorous Member Audit. Developed specifically for the forklift truck industry, it is unlike many accreditations that use an online questionnaire (which is vulnerable to malpractice). Instead, an UKMHA Quality Manager undertakes a physical on-site visit to inspect more than 100 criteria across all aspects of the member’s business, including safety and environmental procedures and best practice.
“For the customer, the Audit is proof that UKMHA members work to standards demonstrably higher than non-compliant companies and removes a potentially weak link in a company’s chain of traceability and accountability.
According to Tim Waples, customers also benefit from the fact that UKMHA members are provided with a huge array of technical support, keeping them abreast of the latest legislation and HSE guidelines. They also have access to a great deal of support materials such as technical bulletins and risk assessments to ensure they carry out maintenance and repairs to the very highest standards.
Summing up he explained “We carry out more than 100 checks on every UKMHA member, so the customer doesn’t need to.”
We have issued a joint statement in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Who are the key workers during the coronavirus pandemic?
Guidance on training for rider-operated lift trucks
During this crisis we are working with other industry bodies and organisations to share and distribute up-to-date advice and guidance as the situation unfolds.
Our thanks go to the HSE, BITA, Mentor, AITT and RTITB for the information on this page.
NOTE ON MP FAQs DOCUMENT: These are questions that MP Luke Evans has asked the government. This is not what will definitely happen, but makes for a good sense check on the details.
Here is a list of downloadable PDFs of up-to-date advice and guidance.
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UK Material Handling Association
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Hambridge Road,
Newbury,
Berkshire,
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