Compensation may be awarded to people who have been injured in an accident involving a forklift truck, if sufficient training has not been given.

Accidents involving Forklift Trucks (“FLT”) are common. On average there are about 8,000 accidents each year that result in injury and about 10 of them are fatal. Even if people are not injured in FLT accidents there could be damage to buildings, storage systems or stock. The main causes of FLT accidents are:-

It is the responsibility of management to assess FLT operations and ensure that safe systems of work are implemented and maintained. Subsequent responsibilities for safe use will also lie with line managers, supervisors and operators.

• Selection
• Training
• Authorisation

-Selection

FLT drivers should be reliable and responsible people, with appropriate physical/mental capabilities. Selection testing may be useful.

Medical considerations include:-

• Pre-employment fitness screening is recommended, as are 5 yearly checks for the over- 40’s.
• General health, particularly mobility/agility
• Vision, which should not normally be less than 6/12 with both eyes
• Hearing

-Training

Training should be carried out in accordance with the Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) 'Rider operated lift trucks: operator training'. 'Rider-operated' means any truck capable of carrying an operator and includes trucks controlled from both seated and stand-on positions. It relates to stacking rider-operated lift trucks (such as counterbalanced FLTs, reach trucks, rough terrain counterbalanced FLTs and telescopic materials handlers) and excludes straddle carriers and no lift trucks.  No person to whom the code applies should be employed to operate a lift truck unless he or she has satisfactorily completed training and testing as described in the code.

Training should include the following stages:-

• Basic training
• Specific job training, relating to the FLT to be used
• Familiarisation training at the workplace, under supervision.

Conversion training would be needed for operators going onto different FLTs.

Records should be kept of training given to individuals and associated results in testing. Certificates of basic training are a useful, practical means of providing documentary evidence that relevant training has taken place and an appropriate level of operating ability has been attained.

Employees should continuously monitor the performance of operators to ascertain whether they might need refresher training. Indicators might be near misses, accidents or consistently unsafe working practices. This is especially the case if operators are occasional users, have not operated trucks for some time, or there has been a change in their working practices or environment.  

The Health and Safety Executive (“HSE”)  has recognised a number of bodies as competent to operate voluntary schemes of accreditation for training providers.

-Authorisation

Only authorised personnel should be allowed to operate FLTs. Authorisation should be:-

• In writing
• Confined to the type of FLT and work for which the employer has found the operator competent
• For a specified period.

Layout and Maintenance of Areas

Roadways and aisles etc. should have sufficient width and overhead clearance (for loaded FLTs and for FLTs passing each other if necessary); road humps should be avoided; consideration could be given to a 1-way system if warranted; adequate lighting is essential.

Pedestrians should be prohibited where possible, or risks assessed and controlled by the use of signs or barriers which are clearly marked (black and yellow diagonal stripes).

Edges of loading bays etc. should be clearly marked or, where possible, fitted with barriers.

Avoidance of sharp bends, obstructions, etc.

Warning devices, mirrors etc. may be needed where barriers cannot be used.

Structural features should be identified, marked and protected (e.g. with impact barriers).

Parking areas for FLTs should be provided in a secure or supervised area to prevent unauthorised access.

Protection of personnel should be achieved by consideration of the following measures:-

• Segregation of pedestrians from vehicles (barriers, marking of routes, warning devices).
• Audible warning devices on FLTs, e.g. horn, reversing bleeper.
• Flashing beacons on FLTs.
• High visibility clothing.
• Head protection, where there is a risk of head injury from falling objects.

The Forklift Truck Itself

Safety considerations include:-

• Operation in the workplace - loading, movement, position of forks, turning etc. NB Safe capacity is a function of the rated capacity, lift height and load centre distance, which will be shown on the FLT capacity data plate.
• Tyres - inflation pressure; damage; use of safety cage if wheels have split rims, and no 'hot work' before tyre has been completely removed.
• Brakes, horn, safety lock or switch with removable key.
• Overhead guard if lift height exceeds 1.8m or if falling objects are foreseeable.
• Dangerous moving parts - e.g. traps caused by telescopic mast sections, lifting chains etc.
• Lifting chains - require 12 monthly thorough examination - or at intervals specified - by a competent person, who should take account of the risks involved.  Trucks operating more than 40 hours per week, or being used to lift people or which have attachments fitted are likely to need examination at least every 6 months. Certification of the examinations must be retained for examination.
• Battery charging- see Battery Charging Element of this Manual.
• Potentially explosive/flammable atmospheres- petrol/LPG FLTs not to be used; electrical FLTs to be suitably protected.
• Attachments - may alter the FLTs characteristics and rating; need to be securely fastened.

-System of checks

• Safety equipment check (guards, backrest extension, horn, warning beacon, fire extinguisher, rating plate (SWL plate).
• Pre-operation check (fluid levels; condition of horn, lights, tyres, gauges, brakes check, hydraulic controls)
• Periodic inspection (tension/condition of fan belt, level of forks, tightness of components, lift chains, hydraulic system under load, refuelling equipment).

An employer may well be legally responsible for an accident involving an FLT e.g. if the FLT was defective in some way, the accident was caused by the negligent driving of the FLT driver, the workplace and/or the system of work was dangerous for the use of FLTs etc.

If an employee sustains injury then that employee may well have a valid claim for compensation against his/her employer. In reality, such a claim would be dealt with by the employer’s insurance company. Compensation claims for accidents at work would include compensation for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity (known as General Damages) as well as other specific items of expense or loss (known as Special Damages) such as lost earnings whilst off work injured, cost of medication/prescriptions, travel expenses, the cost or value of care and assistance provided by others whilst incapacitated etc.