ShopCare Data & Innovation Manager, Wes v Deventer explains how forklift safety reflects leadership, and shares practical steps to make forklifts both safe and productive.
As the workhorses of New Zealand's supply chains, forklifts shift the goods that keep the country moving, but they also carry real risk.
Every year, on average 1,195 kaimahi/workers are injured in forklift incidents and some ACC claims (ave. 1,157) can take months or years to resolve, with the worst cases ending in tragedy.
These aren’t abstract numbers, they’re people, whānau, and workplaces dealing with harm that’s often preventable.
ortunately, with the right systems, training and everyday habits, forklift safety becomes second nature, supporting productivity and wellbeing rather than becoming a barrier.
Forklifts = high-risk
A typical two-tonne forklift can weigh more than double that with a full load. That’s a lot of mass moving through tight spaces, often close to pedestrians, racking, vehicles and blind corners.
Although forklifts are compact and nimble, which suits cramped aisles, stability can often be compromised, especially when turning, travelling with the mast raised, or handling uneven or poorly stacked loads. Collisions, tip-overs, falling loads and exhaust exposure (for fuel-powered units operating indoors) are well-known risks across the country.
Leadership sets the tone
In our experience, forklift safety is often a mirror of business culture. When businesses invest in maintenance, insist on checks, resource training and listen to kaimahi, people respond with care, attention and accountability. It’s important not to avoid hard conversations, but focus on having them with respect and clarity: “This matters because you matter.”
Make the safe thing the easy thing by recognising and removing the friction that nudges people into risk in the first place, including unrealistic pick-rates, congested aisles, poor lighting, or paperwork that takes longer than the check itself.
Read more in the latest issue here
