A survey of materials handling industry workers reveals that up to three-quarters of individuals notice "accidents waiting to happen" at work.

The study, available to members of the UK's Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA)'s Safe User Group, asked nearly 250 people from different companies about the safety practices in their workplaces. Respondents included forklift drivers, frontline workers, management and safety officers.

About 75% of those polled said they felt their workgroup was at risk from one or more "accidents waiting to happen". However, only one-third of them said they would speak up about such dangers.

FLTA CEO David Ellison calls employees' lack of courage and ability to speak up about workplace threats "the ugly secret behind most forklift accidents".

"In one stark example, a researcher was told: 'If there are late deliveries, or more urgent shipments, we need to catch up time by unloading or loading more quickly than we normally would, driving too fast or lowering and raising on the move. We know we shouldn't, and that it creates risks, and it's not what we were taught in our forklift training... but it's just what happens.'"

The research, conducted by Grahame Robb Associates Ltd in partnership with FLTA, identifies five key 'undiscussables' - reasons for unsafe forklift operation that often remain unreported, in even the most safety-conscious of companies.

"It is one thing to train a workforce to recognise unsafe conduct, but quite another to ensure that they feel confident enough to voice their concerns, thereby preventing accidents and, potentially, saving lives," Ellison continues.

"How can a workforce be encouraged to speak out about the dangers they spot? It is precisely this type of information that is so valuable to our Safe User Group members.

"Through research such as this, newsletters, technical bulletins, safety manuals and initiatives such as the National Fork Truck Safety Conference, we endeavour to provide members with the knowledge and resources required to improve worksite safety and prevent avoidable losses of life and serious injury."

Yale's UK forklift distributor, Briggs Equipment, believes companies should do more to encourage workers to speak up about health and safety issues.

Briggs CEO Richard Close says everyone is responsible for health and safety but too often there is a perception of blame attached to reporting an incident - or worse, apathy. "The culture of a business makes a big impact on whether operators actively look to report and resolve health and safety issues or simply just ignore them."

Briggs shares five simple, cost-effective tips to help bring operators on-side and reduce the impact of 'blame culture'.

1. Make it easy to report an issue - Operators should already know to take urgent matters to their line manager. But companies should make sure there is one central person who coordinates health and safety and inform operators of the way they should report matters.

2. Make it anonymous - Having a simple printed card and a drop box is a quick and easy way for staff to voice concerns anonymously while also providing a documentation trail for company records.

3. Make it worthwhile - A small reward, a voucher or a free lunch for the month/quarter is something that may just tip the balance between whether operators report a health and safety issue or not.

4. Make it happen - If operators are reporting issues and see nothing happening, they will stop bothering to report them. When an issue is reported, declare it and put a timescale on it. When it has been investigated, share the results. Whether the status quo remains or if changes need to happen, explain why.

5. Two little words - Thanking operators is the most simple and effective way of ensuring that they will keep doing the right thing. If your company has an internal newsletter, consider a section highlighting the good work. If people see their name in print, it raises their self-esteem, and possibly their profile, among their peers to help encourage others. In a smaller company, a section of a notice board could do the same thing just as effectively.

"These five simple, cheap processes take just a little planning by management and just a little commitment to keep going. However, they can bring huge rewards by reducing accidents and damage bills that far outweigh their minimal cost," Close says.