NATIONAL FORKLIFT
SAFETY DAY
HE MAY BE A RELATIVE NEWCOMER to the industrial
truck industry—in an industry where three decades
of experience is common, seven years qualifies as a
newbie—but Don C. Buckman is no novice when it
comes to safety. A Certified Safety Professional with a
master’s degree in occupational safety and industrial
hygiene and 25 years of experience in that field, he’s an
inspired pick to chair the Industrial Truck Association’s
(ITA) 2019 National Forklift Safety
Day (NFSD) program.
Buckman is Hyster-Yale Group’s
Americas Division environmental
health and safety manager as
well as the company’s corporate
responsibility leader. In the first role,
he collaborates with the company’s
environmental health and safety
(EHS) professionals, employees, and
leaders to assure compliance with
environmental, health, and safety
laws and regulations. A big part of
his job, he says, is to help everyone
recognize, reduce, and mitigate risk.
As corporate responsibility leader,
Buckman collaborates with subject-matter experts on a
diverse portfolio that includes such important concerns
as ethics, employee and community outreach, and
environmental sustainability. He is also part of a
team that helps the company meet the twin goals of
manufacturing forklifts through sustainable practices
and designing environmentally friendly trucks with low
to zero emissions.
DC VELOCITY asked Buckman to put on his industrial-
safety hat and talk about the importance of forklift
safety—not just on National Forklift Safety Day, but
every day. Here’s what he had to say.
Q: IS THERE ANYTHING YOU ESPECIALLY ENJOY OR
FIND INTERESTING ABOUT THE INDUSTRIAL TRUCK
INDUSTRY?
A: Prior to joining Hyster-Yale Group, I was in the U.S.
Navy and then worked in composites, automotive,
I also have to mention that one of
the things I like best about this industry is the people.
From the people who design and manufacture the
trucks to those who assemble, test, and sell them—
everyone is very down to earth. We take pride in
knowing that what we do is benefiting the end user.
We are not only making forklifts more efficient and
easier to use, but we’re also improving safety and
making them more environmentally friendly. It’s an
interesting and formative time to be in the industrial
truck industry!
DELIVERING THE FORKLIFT
SAFETY MESSAGE
Don Buckman brings 25 years of industrial safety experience to his role as
chair of National Forklift Safety Day 2019. Here’s what’s on his agenda.
BY TOBY GOOLEY, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
