42 DC VELOCITY MAY 2017 www.dcvelocity.com
launched a research initiative to quantify the economic
impact we have in the United States. The world-renowned
[business consulting firm] Oxford Economics is conducting the study, and we will issue the final report, called
“Lifting America: The Economic Impact of Industrial Truck
Manufacturers, Distributors, and Dealers,” very soon.
We’re excited about the report and have received some
impressive preliminary numbers. For instance, the lift truck
industry contributes over $25 billion to U.S. GDP annually,
pays over $5 billion in taxes annually, and employs more
than 200,000 people. The study also revealed that for every
one job in our industry, we create an additional 2. 5 jobs.
Q: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF
NATIONAL FORKLIFT SAFETY
DAY, AND HAS IT CHANGED
SINCE THE PROGRAM WAS
FIRST LAUNCHED?
A: National Forklift Safety Day
serves as a focal point for manufacturers to highlight the safe use
of forklifts and the importance of
operator training. It provides an
opportunity for the industry to
educate customers, the public,
and government officials about
safe forklift operation.
The program is now in its fourth
year, and we’re staying focused
on reinforcing its message that
operator training is a critical component to ensuring safety. Over the past few years, ITA has
created additional materials for members to use in local
and national events to support National Forklift Safety Day.
Q: WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITIES DO YOU HAVE
PLANNED FOR NATIONAL FORKLIFT SAFETY DAY IN
WASHINGTON?
A: We have a busy schedule of activities that will span
two days. On Monday, June 12, from 3 to 5 p.m., there will
be an educational session that’s open to all ITA members
and invited guests. Topics will include an update on OSHA
policies and ITA’s collaboration with the agency, as well
as an update on current congressional activity that could
affect our members. We’ll follow that with a networking
reception for attendees. Tuesday morning, June 13—
National Forklift Safety Day itself—will feature speakers
from industry and government, including elected officials.
In the afternoon, members will visit their congressional
representatives to convey our message about the critical
importance of workplace safety and discuss how elected
officials can help to support that.
Q: HO W WILL ITA MEMBERS BE RECOGNIZING NATIONAL
FORKLIFT SAFETY DAY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL?
A: In addition to the Washington, D.C., program, many ITA
members further support National Forklift Safety Day by
sponsoring events in their communities across the country. Some examples include offering free operator training,
distributing safety material, and hosting open houses for
current and prospective customers as well as the general
public and local officials.
Q: WHAT’S THE MAIN MESSAGE ITA WOULD LIKE DC
VELOCITY’S READERS TO TAKE AWAY FROM NATIONAL
A: Thanks to the support of our
members, DC VELOCITY and other
industry publications, and our sister associations in the industry,
we were able to reach a large
audience—more than 60 million
people—with our message last
year. We plan to do the same this
year.
That message is that operator
training is a critical component
of ensuring safety in the workplace. OSHA’s powered industrial truck regulation, which ITA
was instrumental in developing
nearly 20 years ago, specifies a
robust training program that is
very effective when employers
take it seriously and meet its requirements. It includes
classroom training, hands-on instruction, and practical
evaluation of the trainee. If there is a theme to the OSHA
regulatory requirements, it’s that training must be tailored
to both the particular work environment and the particular type of equipment the operator will encounter on
the job. That means that generic or general training,
such as merely watching a video, falls far short of what’s
required. Unfortunately, one of the most frequently cited
OSHA violations involving forklifts is a failure to train
the operator adequately. We hope that National Forklift
Safety Day will help to improve that compliance picture,
because better training and safer operation will benefit
every stakeholder, but especially forklift operators and
their families.
Let me just finish up by mentioning that National Forklift
Safety Day activities in Washington are free and open to
anyone interested in attending. Your readers can visit
the ITA website at www.indtrk.org/events for hotel information and updates on the program, and to register for
the event. b
