Lowest FLT accident rate this century
The Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) has declared itself "very encouraged" by new HSE statistics showing a significant fall in UK fork lift truck accidents since the introduction of its National Safety Week – but reminded managers that there is still much more to do.
Announcing the dates of this year's Safety Week, from 20th – 26th September, FLTA chief executive David Ellison confirmed that last year's overall accident toll was the lowest recorded this century – down a full quarter from the average annual figure.
The fall contrasts sharply with accident figures for other forms of workplace transport, such as Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs), which remained broadly static or even increased year-on-
year, removing any suggestion that broader factors such as the economic downturn might have reduced workload risks.
The latest figures accelerate a downward trend which started in 2007/8. Despite the continued fall, however, fork lift trucks remain the most dangerous kind of workplace transport, accounting for more deaths and injuries than the next two categories combined.
