BITA Archives

National Forklift Safety Day is one of the UK material handling sector’s most significant initiatives, aiming to spread awareness about the importance of operator training and the safe use of forklifts. Beginning on June 11th, this year’s online campaign is supported by the theme ‘Prevent – Manage – Learn’. This succinct tagline reflects the UK Material Handling Association’s (UKMHA) ambition to educate people about what to do in the event of an incident.

Commenting on the campaign, David Goss, the UKMHA’s Technical Director, said: “National Forklift Safety Day provides us with an ideal opportunity to reinforce the importance of safe working practices for those who work with material handling equipment. The UKMHA is committed to helping companies and operators to uphold the highest standards of safety, and this initiative goes a long way towards achieving that goal”.

National Forklift Safety Day 2024 will focus on the 7 stages of the forklift incident cycle. The UKMHA will be releasing impactful content relevant to each stage of the cycle across the following dates:
• Prepare: Tuesday 11 June
• Respond: Wednesday 10 July
• Investigate: Thursday 8 August
• Report: Friday 13 September
• Restart: Saturday 12 October
• Learn: Sunday 10 November
• Prevent: Monday 9 December

Each stage represents a specific strategy for dealing with a forklift incident. By spreading our campaign over different days across 7 months, we hope to fulfil our ambition to ‘make every day National Forklift Safety Day’. The first stage, Prepare, delves into the preparatory steps that should be taken to minimise the chance of a forklift incident becoming a forklift accident. We will be releasing various resources to support this part of the campaign, including compliance checklists, animation videos, and real-world case studies.

The National Forklift Safety Day initiative has been raising awareness about the safe use of material handling equipment since its launch by the US counterpart, the Industrial Truck Association (ITA), in 2014. In 2019, the British Industrial Truck Association (BITA) took up the campaign. BITA eventually merged with the Forklift Truck Association (FLTA) to create the UKMHA, the trade association that has organised the UK’s version of National Forklift Safety Day ever since.

Dedicated to promoting safety standards across the entire material handling industry, the UKMHA invites everyone to participate in National Forklift Safety Day 2024.

UK Material Handling Association Appoints New CEO

The UK Material Handling Association (UKMHA) announces Rob Fisher (pictured) as its Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1st, 2024.

Rob Fisher will succeed Tim Waples, Chief Executive UKMHA, whose retirement was announced earlier in the year, and Cameron Burnett, CEO Designate.

Under Waples’ stewardship, which dates back to 2020 when BITA and FLTA combined, UKMHA has flourished. “Tim has provided UKMHA with excellent leadership at what was a very challenging period with the combination of two major associations and not forgetting the unique circumstances that we all had to deal with during COVID,” states Simon Barkworth, UKMHA Joint President. “We wish Tim a well-earned and happy retirement.”

Burnett, who joined in 2022, has been instrumental in advancing UKMHA’s marketing and events strategy and departs with the association’s heartfelt well wishes.

Fisher steps into his new role with a mandate to drive member engagement, ensure seamless day-to-day operations, and collaborate with the board of directors to shape the association’s future trajectory.

With over 19 years leading IMHX, a pivotal event jointly owned by UKMHA and Informa Markets, Fisher brings a wealth of industry insight and expertise. His proven track record in business management ensures UKMHA’s continued dedication to serving its members and advancing sustainability, safety, and excellence in the material handling sector.

Joint UKMHA President, Andrew Woodward, expresses enthusiasm for the appointment, highlighting his strategic acumen and industry knowledge as invaluable assets. “We are thrilled to welcome Rob to the UKMHA family,” says Woodward. “His leadership will be crucial as we champion our dynamic industry and empower our members to thrive in an evolving landscape.”

“I am honoured and excited by this unique opportunity,” says Fisher. “I look forward to engaging with UKMHA members along with our Safe User Group at the earliest opportunity. With an exceptional team by my side, I am confident in our ability to drive positive change and continue to elevate the profile of our industry.”

Woodward continues “I want to extend my sincere appreciation to Tim for ensuring a seamless transition during the merger of FLTA and BITA. His efforts, alongside Cameron’s, have been instrumental in the smooth operation of our association over the past 18 months.”

The Archies awards for honouring excellence in material handling, which will be held on September 14th, will be Fisher’s first UKMHA event. “The Archies is a prestigious event that recognises excellence and outstanding achievements. I’m looking forward to welcoming our finalists, sponsors, and guests to what will be a true celebration of those operating at the highest echelons in our industry,” finishes Fisher.

UKMHA seeks jurors for Archies 2022

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