Forklift accidents can be prevented
According to a leading firm of injury solicitors, September is the peak time of the year for forklift truck accidents.
So as the month approaches it is vital for both workers and management to keep their attention focused on health and safety precautions while dealing with these potentially dangerous machines.
The Health and Safety Executive who monitor industrial accidents across the country say that forklifts were involved in over 600 serious personal injury accidents in the last year including amputations and bone fractures.
The HSE figures also show that the total number of accidents involving these machines topped two thousand in 2008.
Keep your concentration to stay safe
Injury lawyer, Steven Hinchliffe recently issued a warning to all those involved in the use of forklifts to make sure they always take adequate safety precautions while using the vehicles.
He said that ere are approximately twice as many forklift injuries in September than in any other month, which he put down, at least partially, to people returning from holidays and not having their minds totally on the job.
"Whether it is because people are returning from holiday and not fully concentrating on their work, or for some other inexplicable reason, there are about twice as many FLT accidents in September than in any other month.
As September is almost upon us, workers need to be extra vigilant for their own safety and also for the safety of others," he said.
As Hinchliffe notes, a majority of these accidents are entirely avoidable and could be prevented by drivers and those working around the machines making sure they are acting in accordance with correct health and safety guidelines.
A recent case highlighted the importance of driver concentration after a Welsh woman was knocked over in a work accident involving a forklift.
According to her solicitor she is still suffering physical damage two years after the accident.
Large compensation
The woman recently won a large compensation settlement from her former employer for the accident that has left her struggling to find work since her recovery.
"(The woman's) traumatic and nasty accident could have been easily avoided had the warehouse been organised to ensure that vehicles and pedestrians could circulate in a safe manner as set out by strict health and safety regulations.
Businesses need to ensure that safety requirements are met or they risk putting their staff in danger.
Accidents like this are avoidable, yet we continue to see them every day," said lawyer Lynne Parker who helped run the compensation case.
For employers it is vital that staff operating a forklift, even for a short period of time, are fully trained and are capable of using the machine safely.
In addition to adequate training it is also important to make sure that staff are monitored in their use and any mistakes that put others safety at risk are properly dealt with.
"It is important that individuals are aware that they, as well as their employer, have duties under the law to take reasonable care of the health and safety of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work," said HSE inspector Anne Robinson.
Updated on 8/23/2009