THE FORKLIFT INDUSTRY WILL BE IN WASHINGTON,
D.C., again this spring as members of the Industrial Truck
Association (ITA) take part in the organization’s fourth
annual National Forklift Safety Day. This event, scheduled
for June 13 in the nation’s capital and across the country,
will provide an opportunity for the industry to educate
customers, the public, and government officials about the safe use
of forklifts and the importance of
proper operator training.
Safety is one of Washington,
D.C.-based ITA’s biggest priorities. The organization, which
represents manufacturers of lift
trucks, tow tractors, pallet trucks,
and automated guided vehicles in
North America, promotes international standards for product safety,
advances engineering and safety
practices, and partners with the
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) and other
safety-focused organizations.
ITA says it hopes National Forklift
Safety Day will provide greater
awareness of safe practices as well as encourage safer
behavior in warehouses, distribution centers, and manufacturing plants. To learn more about the event, we spoke
with ITA President Brian Feehan. A longtime industry
association executive, he previously worked in the U.S.
and Europe for organizations promoting the safe use of
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG, usually referred to as propane) for vehicles and other applications. Here’s what he
had to say.
Q: TELL US ABOUT THE INDUSTRIAL TRUCK
ASSOCIATION—WHAT IS ITS MISSION, AND HOW
DOES THE ORGANIZATION’S WORK BENEFIT END
USERS OF LIFT TRUCKS?
A: ITA communicates and collaborates with its members,
global industry associations, and a wide range of stakeholders to develop effective programs, resources, and leadership.
There are many ways we accomplish this. For example, we are an
influential industry voice for standards development and free and
fair trade, and we collect and disseminate statistical marketplace
information. In regard to safety,
ITA advances engineering practices throughout the industry to promote safe products and partners
with OSHA to train compliance
officers, distribute workplace safety materials, and exchange safety
information.
I mentioned statistical information and would like to expand
on that. ITA’s market intelligence
depicts industry trends, helping businesses to recognize the changing needs of the industrial truck industry
and get the information, news, and insight they need to
support decision-making. The statistical information we
provide includes quarterly market estimates, quarterly
economic reports, a business trends survey, and world
industrial truck statistics.
We’ve added something new this year that I think your
readers will find very interesting. The association recently
SPREADING THE WORD
ON FORKLIFT SAFETY
DC VELOCITY talks with the Industrial Truck Association’s
Brian Feehan about the organization’s mission and the goals
of National Forklift Safety Day.
NATIONAL FORKLIFT
SAFETY DAY
SPECIAL SECTION
