Operator Training and Supervision

Accident Investigation

A scrap metal firm was recently fined £2 million after an incident in 2017 when a staff member suffered fatal head injuries after working near a hopper, which housed powerful engines used to feed a conveyor belt with scrap metal for processing.

  • Police and HSE investigation reviewed CCTV and found dangerous practices were commonplace
  • Forklifts were used to lift staff with no safety rigging
  • Workers would jump up and down on metal in a hopper to clear blockages
  • 3 bosses admitted corporate manslaughter and pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at work act.

Senior investigating officer Det Insp Hannah Whitehouse said: “The company put profit before health and safety. I hope today’s convictions and hefty fines act as a deterrent to anyone else involved in the industry who hasn’t got their workers’ safety as the top priority.”

HSE inspector Jan Willets said: “Serious injuries to workers in waste and recycling are too common; and robust health and safety management by employers would reduce the risk.”

Read the full story here

Safety across the sector

Every year there are fatalities and serious injuries involving forklift trucks, their operators, and/or those working nearby on foot, which could have been prevented if properly trained staff had followed safe systems of work.

In the year 2020/21 “Struck by a moving vehicle” was the second most common cause of workplace fatality, accounting for 25 deaths.

As part of UKMHA’s commitment to raising safety standards across the material handling sector, operator training and supervision will be the theme for this year’s National Forklift Safety Day.

Observed in the US and the UK on the second Tuesday in June, National Forklift Safety Day shares vital information through in-person events and free downloadable materials.

Find out more

Don’t miss the Safety Convention

As part of National Forklift Safety Day, industry experts in operator training, safety and wellbeing will be sharing unique insights through talks and presentations at our Safety Convention held at the Heart of England Conference Centre in Coventry.

The Safety Convention is one of the most authoritative safety events of its kind in the industry, regularly featuring renowned speakers offering invaluable advice and practical tips for improving safety on site.

Employers and staff alike will benefit from actionable plans and ideas to be applied to any site where forklifts operate, to improve both the safety of the drivers and anyone working nearby.

Book tickets here

SUG members get 20% off tickets purchased between 28th April and 31st May 2022. To find out more and buy tickets visit www.ukmha.org.uk/ukmha-safety-convention-2022-operator-training  

Please be sure to log in to your member account on the website to claim your 20% discount.   

Download the free ebook

Our 12-page National Forklift Safety Day ebook is packed with essential guidance on training for operators, managers and engineers, including legal requirements and highlights from the Approved Code of Practice.

The e-book is part of a free media pack which also contains posters, email banners and more, to help you and your business get involved with National Forklift Safety Day and promote operator safety.

Download the media pack

Check out previous campaigns

The National Forklift Safety Day website includes information from previous campaigns that offer valuable guidance and tips on a number of safety topics.

You and the law

Employers have a general duty under Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and under The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to provide information, instruction, training, and supervision to ensure the health and safety of their employees.

Regulation 9 of The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), requires employers to ensure that all persons who use work equipment (including forklift trucks) have received adequate training for purposes of health and safety, including training in the methods which may be adopted when using the work equipment, any risks which such use may entail and precautions to be taken.

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