National Forklift Safety Day – June 13

Forklift Safety

There’s an old joke out there about what happens when you play a country song backwards. According to the joke you get your girl, dog, and truck back. Rascal Flatts even did a song about it. It is a pretty good tune. Take a listen here.

So, how does a song about getting a truck back relate to forklifts and forklift safety? Well, by definition a forklift is a powered industrial truck. Since the joke and song talks about trucks you can see the connection. Forklifts are used to lift, move, and place various materials weighing anywhere from a few thousand pounds up to 90 tons. These powered industrial trucks must comply with OSHA standard 29CFR 1910.178.

In 2016, accidents and incidents involving powered industrial trucks were listed in the top ten OSHA violations. To stress the safe use of the vehicles, need for operator training, education of non-users the Industrial Truck Association (ITA) has set aside Tuesday, June 13 as National Forklift Safety Day. This is the fourth year for such an event. Having a written standard, good safety policies and regulations surrounding the safe use of these machines isn’t enough. It requires every day awareness and commitment from drivers, managers, and other personnel in the areas with these trucks to stay safe.

If you are in the Washington, DC area check out the free activities ITA has planned.

• Monday, June 12 from 3 to 5 p.m.: Education session for ITA members and invited quests
• Tuesday, June 13 morning: Speakers from industry and government, including elected officials
• Tuesday, June 13 afternoon: ITA members will visit their congressional representatives to convey our message about the critical importance of workplace safety and discuss how elected officials can help to support that

For information regarding your area, contact your local forklift dealer.

A few ideas from other locations include the following:

• Safety pledge signings
• Open houses and plant tours
• Safety demonstrations / Safety Awareness classes
• “Train the Trainer” classes
• Operator training sessions

If there is any way ICC Compliance Center can help make your National Forklift Safety Day a success, contact us. We are here to help.