10 May 2017

Health & Safety Update

Want to learn more about Fork-Lift Truck Safety and Accident Investigation?

Fork-Lift Truck Safety
Did you know that 24% of Workplace Transport Accidents, are caused by Fork-lift trucks, and 70% of these accidents, happen to non-drivers.
Fork-Lift trucks are widely used for moving materials and goods, but they are involved in about a quarter of all workplace transport accidents. The deaths and injuries caused can ruin lives and businesses, even when an incident does not cause injury, it can still mean costly damage to fork-lift trucks, buildings, fittings and goods.

Here are just a few reasons why, todays forum, could be of importance to you, and your company.

Return on Investment
Productivity is key to making sure that your various investments are worth their initial cost. When a forklift operator is injured as a result of an on-the-job accident, not only are they out of commission for a certain period of time, their forklift is shut out of the supply chain. Every minute you have an injured employee can cost you thousands of pounds per hour! Taking the time to ensure operators are trained in safety protocols can help them avoid accidents and injury. In the meantime, you'll maximize your ROI.

Better Working Conditions
Forklift Safety awareness can help operators to better understand their equipment and daily tasks. When operators know how to be safe, they will also be more comfortable on the job. When all employees know that operators are trained effectively, they will be less worried about accidents and more confident working in forklift environments. Low stress means better working conditions that lead to higher productivity.

Decreased Maintenance Costs
Maintenance on forklifts can be expensive, especially when that maintenance is unplanned and the result of preventable on-the-job accidents. When operators are trained on safety procedures, they are more likely to avoid costly mistakes that can result in damaged product or forklift equipment. This is why, the daily checks conducted by the driver are essential, not only to check the day to day safety of the vehicle, but spot a major issue before it causes a serious breakdown.

Accident Investigation
Did you know that according to the key figures released by the HSE for 2015/16, that:
621,000 injuries occurred at work according to the Labour Force Survey
30.4 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
£14.1 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions (2014/15) 72,702 other injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR.

So, what is an accident?
An accident is an unplanned, unwanted event which not only disrupts the work process but clearly causes injury or harm to people or property. Unlike people's perception of the term, an accident is rarely a random event but is often controllable or even predictable.

Conducting incident investigations can identify the causes of the incident and will help to prevent such incidents from reoccurring within the workplace. The investigation will highlight trends where accidents and incidents occur, however, by creating a safe site for all, there are financial benefits, which will safeguard the future of your company, and create a positive health & safety culture.

Want to find out more about the above topics, register to attend the H&S forum, 20th June 2017 at 10am - 1pm.

This forum will outline any important H&S news and updates. It also gives members the chance to hold an open forum on any HS&E subjects that they would like to bring to the table. It is your forum; please feel free to use it.

Click here to find out more.