The Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) has announced plans for its first Safety Conference Practical Safety Panel, emphasising the benefits of learning from the experiences of others to improve forklift safety.

The Safety Conference will feature a Q&A session with the Practical Safety Panel, a group of experts representing a wide range of perspectives and practical experiences related to forklift operations.

Chaired by SHD Logistics editor Peter MacLeod, panel members will include solicitor Harjinder Kandola, Martin Banasik (Allianz), Rob Johnston (TUC), Shaun Pendergast (CFTS) and Andy Cartwright (Mentor Training).

FLTA CEO Peter Harvey says: "Every member of our panel has been handpicked to ensure that we provide this year's delegates with practical safety advice from every angle."

The primary aim of the association's national forklift safety conference this year is to present proven, real-world methods that will empower all employees to share responsibility for forklift safety in a "no-blame environment".

Key to this will be a series of case history sessions led by companies which have successfully implemented change in the workplace and are prepared to share their experiences and insights.

"They say experience is the best teacher but, when it comes to forklift safety, it is far more efficient to learn from the experiences of others," Harvey says.

"Every one of our speakers has experienced the path to establishing and maintaining safe operations. Although their operations may be different from yours, they will certainly have encountered and dealt with many of the same obstacles facing your operations.

"It is our hope that delegates at this year's conference use all of these experiences as a starting point which will accelerate the progress of their safety endeavours back on site in the weeks, months and years that follow," he adds.

With the support of sponsor Briggs Equipment, the FLTA's annual conference will be held at University of Warwick on 24 September 2014, and the theme will be: Is there a killer in the warehouse? Five real-world ways to transform fork truck safety.