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Health & safety ■
FLT safety
The article below continues our regular health and safety column from Michael Collier
(above) at SESS (Storage Equipment Safety Service), and highlights the importance of
crucial and effective training and assessments required for safe operation of fork lift
trucks. It also details the necessary steps needed to create a safe working site.
Fork lift trucks (FLTs) play an firms normal monitoring procedures and be working order and in good repair”. Regular
increasingly important role within the formally time-tabled to ensure that it is done preventative maintenance should be
logistics industry and their use has at reasonable intervals, will indicate whether scheduled as per the manufacturers
resulted in big reductions in manual any further training is needed.” In addition, recommendations. Furthermore, a statutory
handling related injuries whilst moving formal re-assessment will be needed where requirement means that all lifting equipment
heavy loads about the network. The use of operators, have not used their truck for under Regulation 9 of the Lifting Operations
FLTs has steadily increased as improved sometime, are occasional users, have had an and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998
production is strived for along with accident or near miss, there has been a should be assessed by a competent person in
improved working practices. While this is change to the working practices or appear to order to identify that the FLT is safe for use
welcome the FLTs are not risk free and if have developed bad working practices. and / or to give advice which needs to be
not controlled effectively they can become Consideration must be given to the age of followed to avoid risks. This should be
a major issue in the industry resulting in operators and L117 states that “Children carried out annually and possibly more
some very serious accidents, involving under minimum school leaving age should frequently depending upon use
operators and anyone else within the never operate lift trucks.” It also states that A FLT is designed to lift a specific weight
working area of the FLT. operators of FLTs on docks premises must be to a specific height and each truck will have a
When you consider that some 8,000 FLT at least 18. Guidance indicates that young rating plate which will indicate the maximum
related injuries and deaths are reported to the persons under 18 often lack experience and weight that can be lifted to a given height and
Health and Safety Executive each year, it maturity and are at greater risk than older at a given load centre. This should form part
then becomes clear that there is room for employees and should not be allowed to of the operator training.
improvement. However, this figure does not operate FLTs without adequate supervision. Good parking of FLTs is important in
take into account unreported incidents Each site will need to assess the terms of care, maintenance and pedestrian
involving FLTs. segregation of pedestrians and FLTs and to safety. Emergency equipment should not be
To drive a FLT you must have attended formulate a traffic plan to reduce the blocked, it should be parked in a safe,
and passed an approved training course, the prevention of accidents to as low a level as is identified area, the forks should be lowered,
course can be run internally by qualified staff reasonably practicable. Consideration should the parking brake engaged and the key
or externally by an externally approved include speed limits, the identification of removed.
supplier. The Health and Safety Commission pedestrian crossings, identify one way Finally, help to play your part in reducing
(HSC) recognises a number of bodies as systems. Set the site traffic rules and FLT related incidents by managing the rules
being competent to accredit training importantly, communicate these clearly to that you set – good monitoring techniques
organisations for the training of FLT staff and visitors. All walkways should be will help you in this area.
instructors and operators. Details of these clearly marked along with operational areas. www.sess.co.uk
bodies are available within the HSC booklet Staff and visitors will need protection from
L117. Effective training is vital, particularly doorways that open into the path of a FLT.
Michael is a Chartered Safety and Health
when you consider that you are likely to All FLT operators should be checked at the
Practitioner, with a Post Graduate Diploma
spend as much time in reverse as you do beginning of the shift by the operator. Checks
in Occupational and Environmental Health
and Safety Management.
moving forward. L117 also advises on FLT should include tyres, lights, signals, brakes,
His role within Storage Equipment Safety
operator refresher training, and states: “There flashing lights, horn, reversing alarms. All
Service Ltd is to head up a new division with
is no specific requirement to provide defects found with FLTs should be noted and
specific regard to all areas of Health and
refresher training after set intervals, but even repaired prior to use.
Safety Management, as well as
trained and experienced FLT operators need Regulation 5 of the Provision and Use of Environmental Management Systems to ISO
to be re-assessed from time to time to ensure Work Equipment 1998 states “Every 14001 Standard, working with a number of
that they continue to operate safely. This employer shall ensure that work equipment is
blue chip companies. He can be contacted
assessment, which should form part of a maintained in an efficient state, in efficient
on michael.collier@sess.co.uk
www.PressOnShD.com April 2007 ShD 15
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