The Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) is encouraging the approximately one million people who work with forklifts to check their safety knowledge in what it claims is the UK's biggest ever forklift safety challenge.

Anyone is free to participate in the online Fork Lift Hazard Perception Test, where participants must identify hazardous practices and rate them in order of importance.

The aim of the test is to reduce the high number of workers injured in incidents involving forklifts and to raise awareness of the dangerous practices that often go unnoticed in a busy environment.

FLTA CEO Peter Harvey says: "In recent years, we have seen the UK forklift industry make significant strides in health and safety practice, but forklifts continue to be involved in more than 800 workplace accidents every year.

"Often, these are serious and life-changing events requiring hospitalisation - including long-bone fractures, dislocations and amputations.

"But, just as every accident is tragic, each one is almost always avoidable - so it is the duty of every person working within this industry to be vigilant about safety."

The FLTA has been working with representatives from the Health & Safety Executive and other experts from the materials handling industry to identify the key issues facing forklift owners, operators and the many colleagues who work alongside them, in the lead up to the National Fork Truck Safety Week (22 - 28 September).

Pre-register now at www.fork-truck.org.uk to take part in the hazard perception test, which goes live on 17th September 2014. The test was developed in close partnership with Mentor Training.

"We anticipate that many companies will want to use the Fork Lift Truck Hazard Perception Tests to benchmark the level of safety awareness on their sites. Those who require a paper-based version of the tests should contact the FLTA at: Peter@fork-truck.org.uk or call +44 01635 277577," says Harvey.