9 June marks National Forklift Safety Day and for 2026 the focus is on forklift truck technicians.
David Goss, Technical Director at UKMHA, said:
“Between 2019 and 2025 UK forklift suppliers lost, on average, more than 1,000 working days per year due to workplace injuries. According to UKMHA data, 85% of these incidents occurred to forklift technicians whilst working at customers’ premises."
From speaking with customers across industry, we know the biggest risks often involve contractors, technicians, and visiting drivers who are unfamiliar with the site. Having clear processes and policies are important, but they only work when safety's embedded into everyday operations.
This year, SiteZone introduced a new measure on our data platform; detections per runtime hour. The data has given us a clearer picture of how different vehicles interact with people on site.
FLTs and smaller machines don't always record the highest number of detections overall. However, when detections are measured against runtime hours, the picture changes significantly.
Our industry average is 6.44 detections per runtime hour. But when we look at FLTs and teletruks only, this almost doubles to 11.73 detections pre runtime hour.
Unlike loading shovels or material handlers that may operate continuously throughout the day, FLTs often move in shorter bursts, through tighter spaces and in closer proximity to pedestrians. Our data shows they generate a high number of detections per runtime hour, indicating an increased risk of pedestrian collisions during operation.
Warehouses, waste and recycling yards, and industrial sites create multiple blind spots; around corners, behind racking, and between stacked goods. In these environments, operators may not see the risk.
SiteZone proximity warning systems help operators detect people before they come into view. A pedestrian approaching from behind shelving or around a corner can trigger an alert before the operator, or even onboard cameras, can see them.
National Forklift Safety Day is a reminder of the importance of visibility, awareness, and consistent safety behaviours from everyone working on and around FLTs.
See how SiteZone FLT proximity alerts can help make your operation safer.