As the season to be jolly approaches, and Christmas shopping commences, remember those who work during these busy festive periods. Remember the warehouses bustling with life as your Christmas orders are fulfilled, the forklift driver stocking and stacking the racking, checking and packing your presents. During Christmas, over 50% of shopping will be done online. Which means warehouses and delivery companies will be working extra hard to ensure a good Christmas.
During this time its easy to forget the little things, so to ensure a safe and eventful Christmas, Forklift Agency recommends keeping your drivers safe with our forklift training courses. Tiredness and working overtime can make people decide to cut corners and make silly mistakes, making the workplace a much more dangerous place to be. We ensure on our courses that forklift drivers are aware of all hazards in the workplace and that short cuts are not acceptable in such a busy environment. It's estimated that on average, there are 61 fatal accidents a year and 2150 major injuries a year involving forklifts (Source:Health and Safety Executive http://www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/about.htm). During Christmas those risks when operating a forklift truck are going to be substantially higher. As well as a refresher course to keep your forklift operators alert. we recommend the following:
- get a good amount of sleep - before a shift try and catch some Z's, this gives you a quick boost ready for you to work, and always have at least 8 hours sleep. More if you know you have a busy day ahead.
- Eat something - Eating something substantial on a break or for a meal before work gives your body a slow and steady release of energy. avoid energy drinks and sugary snacks, as they only give you an energy high, before letting your body crash into a tired low, and then finally leveling out again.
- Don't cut corners - Thinking of driving away from racking with your forks up? or not beeping when passing a crossing? DON'T. They are the little things that can have big effects and consequences. Don't skimp on safety especially near the Christmas period, as things will be busy. No one wants any bad news during Christmas
- Be happy! - Don't be a scrooge this Christmas, being grumpy and unhappy makes the day drag, letting yourself make mistakes and making you want to end the day quicker by ignoring warnings and hazards. By keeping a positive head and enjoying yourself, the day will fly by! meaning you wont feel the need to cut corners to finish your shift. So no Bah Humbug this Christmas!
Here's to a safe workplace and a happy Christmas!
Forklift Agency Ltd
