National Forklift Safety Day 2021: What You Need to Know

June 09, 2021

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is 50 years old! Can you believe it? This was just one of the things mentioned during the National Forklift Safety Day webinar. The most important takeaway, however, was the importance of operator training.

Operator training was the theme for National Forklift Safety Day 2021. For the eighth annual celebration, the Industrial Truck Association (ITA) hosted a webinar. Of those in attendance, OSHA spoke on the necessity of operator training.

National Forklift Safety Day has always been used to emphasize the importance of education. However, in 2020 and 2021 the industry saw a 20% trend increase in forklift accidents since 2011. This rise is in direct correlation with a spike in forklift purchases.

In 2021, we saw the arrival of Executive Order 13985. This order focuses on equity, diversity, and inclusion. It also advocates for enhanced support to vulnerable workers and underserved communities.

To honor this mandate, OSHA closely examined the 2020 and 2021 forklift accidents. They found that most injured workers were Black and Latino. A majority of these workers were also hired under a temporary contract. This revealed an issue with the training operators receive.

Steps to Improve Forklift Safety

There is no forklift safety without operator training. To improve one, we must first improve the other.

To improve operator training, we need to ensure everyone has a great base knowledge. This includes both temporary and full-time workers. Operators should have a good grasp of the fundamentals, regardless of seniority. This means, in addition to a good introductory education, training must be ongoing.

Experienced operators will benefit from brushing up on the basics. It's not enough to learn the material once. Knowledge is easy to forget if it isn't applied or periodically refreshed.

Ongoing training is also necessary to keep operators current. There are a lot of updates in the forklift industry. These updates could include new forklift technology, regulations, or maintenance practices. Keep operators safe by modifying their training to reflect these changes.

Improve forklift safety by keeping operator training at the forefront.

Next Steps

Adjusting your training will be a continuing process. The forklift industry experiences constant updates. Forklift equipment is no exception.

Thankfully, new forklift models have significant safety improvements. Buying new equipment will ensure you have the best, most stable model on the market. Find your next truck by comparing pricing with Forklift Inventory here.