Mentor says it is not only forklift operators that need adequate training, but managers, supervisors and colleagues on foot.

With Christmas approaching, UK forklift training provider Mentor Training is reminding businesses that inadequate training for seasonal staff can be dangerous.

Many warehouses employ casual and temporary workers to cope with the surge in demand. Mentor has urged companies to check the validity of training certification and temporary staff's operational capabilities before they start using forklifts.

Research suggests workers are up to four times as likely to be involved in accidents during the first month of their employment. Analysis conducted for the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) by the Warwick Institute for Employment Research found each percentage point increase in new staff raises a company's risk of major workplace injuries by 1.7% to 2.5%.

Agency workers and contractors are mentioned specifically in HSE's L117 Approved Code of Practice for Rider-Operated Lift Trucks, which emphasises special risk management is required.

Stuart Taylor, director of Mentor Performance Risk Management, says: "Just because a worker is temporary, doesn't mean companies should provide only the bare minimum of training. Workers who lack safety skills are not only a danger to themselves, but to others, too.

"HSE is clear that employers should confirm all employees' competence but this isn't always straightforward, especially when workers have been trained overseas. Foreign certificates and licences offer no certainty of training provision or capabilities, so proper assessment is a must."

Mentor advises it is not only forklift operators who need adequate training, but managers, supervisors and colleagues on foot.

"Safety awareness is essential for everyone. Two thirds of workplace transport accident victims are pedestrians, and that includes managers and supervisors, too," Taylor says.