Short-term forklift hire provider Briggs Equipment is urging forklift fleet operators to refresh health and safety procedures to cope with demand as the busy Christmas period approaches.

With the busiest time of the year only months away, retailers are now taking delivery of new stock and UK warehouse and distribution centres are putting plans in place to keep shelves topped up over the festive season.

Allan Parsons, Briggs' asset manager, says managers need to face up to the peak period's challenges. "From our experience and previous industry research we know there is a clear link between increased activity in the pre-Christmas period and the number of accidents, but the reasons behind this are not so clear cut.

"A study [conducted] several years ago suggests 10%-15% of all accidents are the result of inadequate training and this is likely to become a greater risk during busy periods when agency or other temporary staff are employed to cope with demand," he says.

Other factors that may contribute include experienced staff taking procedural short-cuts to keep up with the increased workload.

Parsons says managers can reduce the risk of incidents by ensuring temporary staff are fully familiar with the work environment and the equipment they are using. He suggests introducing induction processes, if they are not already in place.

He says longer-serving staff need to be reminded of their obligations and now is a good time to conduct safety workshops or seminars.

"Most importantly, managers need to recognise that safety could be compromised if there are insufficient staff or equipment to cope with increased demand over Christmas. Put staff and equipment under too much pressure and there will be a greater temptation to take short cuts and therefore a greater risk of accidents," Parson says.