A new company has been launched to distribute a range of products that make forklift trucks safer to operate and significantly reduce damage to palletised loads during the handling process.

With offices and distribution centres in the UK, United States, Canada and Australia, SumoSafe Global's initial products include custom safety tynes, a protective "glove" for tynes, a visibility improvement system, a forklift mast tilt indicator system and a retrofit anti-whiplash device.

"The SumoSafe range includes a number of ingeniously simple yet highly innovative designs that make a real difference to any forklift operator's business - both in terms of safety and the cost savings that can be made by eliminating product damage," says co-founder Simon Ross.

"Any company that operates a forklift truck fleet - from a single truck upwards - has a duty to ensure that its lift truck operators and the personnel who work around forklifts have the safest possible working environment.

"And, of course, forklift-related product damage within the supply chain is a significant and expensive issue for a great many businesses. In fact, it is probably a bigger problem than the industry is prepared to admit, with companies in a broad range of sectors suffering huge bottom-line losses every year as a result of careless handling."

Ross says the benefit to any organisation that installs SumoSafe technology will be quickly realised through improved operational efficiency and workplace safety.