The FLTA revealed the findings, based on Health Safety Executive statistics between 2001 and 2008, during its National Forklift Safety Week last month.
The Yorkshire and West Midlands areas are a particular concern, says the FLTA, as they account for the top seven danger zones in the association’s list of accident black-spots.
The FLTA says statistics also show that the rate of serious forklift-related injuries among men was up to five times higher than for women. This takes into account the uneven split between males and females working in the vicinity of forklifts.
Workers over 45 and heavy goods vehicle drivers waiting for their lorries to be loaded and unloaded have the highest fatality rates.
FLTA CEO David Ellison says over 400 people are hospitalised as a result of forklift incidents annually.
“These are major, life-shattering injuries like crushings and amputations. Last year, 10 people were killed, and with forklifts working on about 100,000 UK sites, literally anyone could be at risk,” Ellison says.
He adds that most forklift incidents are avoidable and that the victim is usually not the truck’s operator.
The 10 Worst Areas for Forklift Incidents in the UK and 40% are found in Yorkshire
- Birmingham, West Midlands
- Wakefield, Yorkshire
- Leeds, Yorkshire
- Doncaster, Yorkshire
- Sandwell, West Midlands
- Bradford, Yorkshire
- Walsall, West Midlands
- Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
- Northampton, Northamptonshire
- Thurrock, Essex
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