As the December 5 deadline for fitting seat restraints to forklifts approaches, the Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) is concerned some forklift suppliers may be panicked into making wrong decisions.

While supporting the new legislation, which seeks to avoid injuries caused by forklifts tipping over, the FLTA says there are some situations where seatbelts are neither necessary nor advisable.

The FLTA is collaborating with the United Kingdom Health & Safety Executive to offer an interpretation of the law and advice on its application.

"We believe misleading information could lead to people installing restraints which might actually make their forklifts more dangerous," FLTA chairman Brian Warbrick said.

Several forklift designs have been identified for which restraints may not be required:

- Those with such a high degree of stability that they are highly unlikely to overturn in the operating environment for which they are designed (normally only trucks of 10 tonnes capacity or more);
- Masted forklifts which can only roll through 90 degrees and which have features to prevent the operator from being trapped between the truck and the ground;
- Forklifts where the operator sits sideways and gains access from the rear only; and
- Forklifts driven by a stand-on operator.

The FLTA also says there are some older forklifts to which restraints cannot be fitted safely, such as those with unsecured batteries or with combined seat switches and parking brakes.

Generally, for a forklift to be used without a restraint, the working area must be smooth and level, with an enforceable speed limit of four miles an hour. The potential for operator error must also be included in a risk assessment.

Once the risk assessment is complete, the employer must ensure the forklift is used only for the designated task. The risk assessment containing that information should be signed by the supplier, employer and operator.

A warning sticker for forklifts without restraints fitted has been produced by the FLTA to warn that a risk assessment must be carried out before any new task is undertaken.

"The responsibility for operator safety, and for carrying out the necessary risk assessments, rests ultimately with the employer," Mr Warbrick said.

Fork Talk is a new Forkliftaction.com News service available to non-profit forklift and related industry bodies around the world. If you would like to have your association's news included in this column, email www.forkliftaction.com.