Join us as we celebrate National Forklift Safety Day 2021

This year National Forklift Safety Day will be promoting its important message in association with the launch of the new UK Material Handling Association (UKMHA).

The UKMHA has been formed by the merger of the industry’s two most respected trade associations – BITA (British Industrial Truck Association) and the FLTA (Fork Lift Truck Association), together with their co-owned subsidiary, Consolidated Fork Truck Services (CFTS), the accrediting body introduced to deliver the first national procedure for Thorough Examination.

As promoting good safety standards within the material handling industry is one of the UKMHA’s core goals, it has opted to use 8th June for its own launch event so that it can highlight to an engaged audience just how it will be helping the industry moving forward.

There will be a live webinar on the day at 11am where senior management will outline more about the association, what its objectives are and how 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.

They will also be sharing important market intelligence on the current prospects for the UK material handling industry.

For the 2021 NFSD campaign, the new body has chosen to focus on the importance of accredited Thorough Examination. The campaign will coincide with the publication of an updated BITA GN28 – the industry approved guideline on Thorough Examination and Safety Inspection of Industrial Lift Trucks in accordance with the provisions of LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) 1998 and PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) 1998.

David Goss, Technical Director, UK Material Handling Association said: “If MHE has been idle during lockdown, then management has a responsibility to ensure it is safely recommissioned and the best way of ensuring this is to have the equipment examined by a suitably qualified competent person.”

Best practice is to put the equipment through a Consolidated Fork Truck Services (CFTS) inspection known as Thorough Examination.

Thorough Examination is the name given to the mandatory inspection required by law to ensure that the lifting equipment is in safe working order. It is roughly equivalent to the MOT for cars.

UKMHA is recommending that all Thorough Examinations should be completed by a CFTS-accredited Competent Person. The CFTS mark is a guarantee that a lift truck will be examined carefully, and that key components such as brakes and steering will also be checked along with the lifting mechanism.

“All MHE must receive a Thorough Examination at least once a year. However, examinations could be required more often depending on the type of truck and the application,” added Mr Goss.

The updated GN28, which is free to members of BITA and FLTA, incorporates several changes to the current guidelines, including clarification around the date of first examination, confirmation on requirements for lorry-mounted trucks, recommended intervals between examinations for attachments, and improved guidance on inspection and test criteria.

Copies of the new GN28 can also be purchased from the BITA online shop

“UKMHA is proud to be delivering National Forklift Safety Day for 2021 and beyond. The campaign provides an opportunity for everyone to promote a safer material handling industry and to propagate best practice across the sector. We hope the entire industry will unite behind the cause and join us on 8th June to spread the word as wide as possible,” added Mr Goss.

Tim Waples, CEO, UKMHA said: “I believe the arrival of the UK Material Handling Association is a gamechanger for the industry and with our strong focus on improving safety standards, we could not have a better day to celebrate our formation than National Forklift Safety Day. I hope you will join us on 8th June for what promises to be a special event.”

For more information on the UK Material Handling Association, visit www.ukmha.org.uk

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