Forklift Safety Day Calls Attention to Shocking Forklift Accident Rates
These shocking statistics prompted the Industrial Truck Association (ITA) to organize “National Forklift Safety Day.” ITA represents 90% of the forklift manufacturers in the U.S. and Canada. This year, the 3rd annual Forklift Safety Day will be held in Washington DC on June 14th. During this event, ITA representatives will speak to members of the U.S. Congress to discuss regulatory and safety issues. Also participating are personnel from government safety oversight organizations and forklift industry representatives.
The focus of this all-day program is to educate customers, policymakers and government officials about forklift safety, proper forklift operation and the importance of comprehensive operator training. The ITA says it “hopes National Forklift Safety Day will provide greater awareness of safe practices as well as encouraging safer behavior in warehouse, distribution centers, manufacturing plants, and other environments where forklifts are in use.”
Not only do forklift accidents seriously impact drivers and workers, but the cost to businesses in the U.S. alone is up to $135,000,000 per year. To help solve this problem, our experienced innovation team at Rotarex SRG focused its resources on improving forklift operation safety. They realized that propane lift trucks often run out of gas because operators had no reliable way to determine when the LPG cylinder was nearly empty. A stranded forklift, especially if it stops in the middle of a heavy lift or blocks busy aisles, poses a real safety risk.
So, they leveraged Rotarex SRG’s proven LPG cylinder valve and pressure regulator technology to develop MLD - a highly reliable low propane fuel gauge. MLD alerts forklift operators when the propane cylinder is nearly empty, giving them enough time to return safely to the exchange cabinet. Now, by preventing propane forklifts from running out of gas, the MLD low propane fuel gauge helps reduce the risk of injury and accident.
The deadline to register through ITA for the 2016 National Forklift Safety Day is coming right up on May 16th. And, if you’d like to know more about how MLD improves propane forklift safety, please feel free to contact me.