Forklift associations on both sides of the Atlantic will mark National Forklift Safety Day (NFSD) next week (June 14).

Established in the United States in 2013 by the Industrial Truck Association (ITA), National Forklift Safety Day aims to raise awareness of the safe use of forklifts and the importance of proper operator training.

Each year, the campaign has a different safety message and the 2022 campaign focuses on the importance of the lifecycle of operator training and its vital contribution to the safety of all people on a site.

In the United States, ITA will this year mark the ninth annual NFSD with an in-person event at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

The speaker line-up this year includes:

·       Chuck Pascarelli, president, Americas, Hyster-Yale Group (chairman, ITA Board of Directors)

·       Douglas Parker, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA)

·       Jonathan Dawley, president & CEO, KION North America (NFSD chair 2022)

·       Brian Duffy, director of corporate environmental and manufacturing safety, Crown Equipment Corporation

·       Rich Trahey, Vice President, Enterprise Solutions, Dematic

In the UK, National Forklift Safety Day activities are being co-ordinated by the UKMHA, which will host the UKMHA Forklift Safety Convention on 14 June.

The event will include the launch of the UKMHA Safe Working Area Charter as well as presentations by Laura Nelson (RTITB), Andy Cartwright (ABA), Stuart Taylor (Mentor) and Kanwal Kandar (Health & Safety Executive).

The exhibition area will feature displays from CFTS, ZoneSafe, Mentor, FB Chain Ltd, B&B Attachments and RTITB.