Fork Lift Trucks; Health & Safety Inspection Blitz

AUTHORITIES CLAMP DOWN ON UNSAFE FORKLIFTS

Against a background of 9 fatal accidents involving forklift trucks in Northern Ireland over the past 6 years, Environmental Health Officers from Derry City Council will be participating in a Northern Ireland wide campaign in workplaces where lift trucks are regularly used.

The campaign is supported by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) and is aimed at improving the safety record of forklift trucks used in premises such as DIY outlets, warehouses and supermarkets.

Businesses can obtain advice and information on Forklifts by contacting Derry City Council’s Environmental Health Department: Tel-028 7136 5151.

UPDATE ON FORKLIFT TRUCK INSPECTION BLITZ

Further to the above campaign, which involved all 26 District Councils in Northern Ireland's, the following report was compiled.

During the inspection blitz on premises such as DIY outlets, supermarkets and warehouses, which use fork lift trucks on a regular basis, officers found that 80 per cent of the 300 premises inspected were operating the vehicles incorrectly - and sometimes in blatant disregard of proper procedures.

Among the breaches observed by inspectors were:

• pillion passengers riding on the 'forks' of the truck;
• trucks operating in places to which the public had access - e.g. warehouse showrooms - and where there was poor attention given to public safety, i.e, no demarcated pedestrian areas, no reversing warning devices, no warning signs, etc.;
• keys left in unattended trucks - one on a busy garage forecourt;
• many of the 428 trucks inspected had not undergone regular inspections or safety checks, as required by law.

To minimize the potential for accidents, only trained and authorized drivers should use forklift trucks and the truck operations should be well planned and supervised, particularly to make sure that pedestrians are not put at risk. The trucks themselves must also be well maintained and inspected regularly by a competent person.

As a result of the campaign, which was supported by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), advice was given to many of the premises concerned, regarding procedures for the safe operation of forklift trucks. Enforcement notices, requiring improvements in safety standards and procedures, also were issued to 32 of the premises involved.

All enforcing agencies are promoting the Approved Code Of Practice (ACOP) on operator training, as they see this as the key to improving standards throughout the industry. Copies of the ACOP entitled “Rider-operated lift trucks: Operator training.” are available from HSENI, 83 Ladas Drive, Belfast, BT6 9FR, (Tel.02890 243249) as a priced publication at £7.50.

Address and/or contact for Initiative:

Contact Information

back to top of page

return to Environmental Health