1.       People's beliefs (the cognitive dimension): what a person knows to be true, our convictions.

2.       People’s attitudes (the affective dimension): how they feel, a particular perspective or position on something.

3.       People’s actions (the behavioural dimension): the probability that people will act in accordance with their attitudes and beliefs.

So why are safety attitudes important and how do we learn about them in our workplaces?

Attitudes evaluate and express an opinion on an issue like workplace safety, whether positively or negatively, and are based on actual experiences. Therefore attitudes can be expected to change as a function of experiences and it is here that developing a workplace safety culture can have an impact. In communicating and providing experiences of positive workplace safety behaviour, we can have an impact on the people’s attitudes towards safety.

When poor attitudes to safety need to change into positive attitudes towards safety, the motivation behind the attitude also needs to change. (Note: this is not the only way to change attitudes, but it is an important one.) If you seek to change the motivations which maintain a person's beliefs about safety (e.g. the motivator: 'the boss doesn’t listen to my complaints about safety problems and people can get hurt' and the belief: 'the company puts production before our safety') and if you can show the difference between attitudes, or between attitudes and behaviour, you have the opportunity to change the motivations which keep people stuck in their poor safety attitudes.     
                                                                                                                 
Attitude change
Attitude change may take place when compliance (with peer expectations), identification (a desire to be like someone we admire) or internalisation (change in belief when intrinsic rewards exist) occur.

Renowned psychologist Carl Jung defines attitude as a ‘readiness of the psyche to act or react in a certain way’ (Jung, 1921). Attitudes very often come in pairs, one conscious and the other unconscious. Within this broad definition Jung defines several attitudes.

Applying this to workplace safety, we try to move our conscious behaviours and experiences of workplace safety into our unconscious, making workplace safety an intrinsic mindset and attitude. Similarly there may be unconscious and unsafe behaviours which need to be brought to the consciousness in order for them to be addressed.

Practical implementation
Surveying the workforce to determine attitudes to workplace health and safety is a useful step in the workplace safety culture change process, as this can help direct resources. The aim is for safety to become a subconscious behaviour, just like the way we switch on a light when we enter a room, it needs to become behavioural.

Understanding peoples’ attitudes to safety is an important start. Then, change can occur by focusing on the positive and reinforcing it. Positive safety culture, commitment from management, communication, consultation, surveys, programs, inspections, audits, job safety analysis, training, employee involvement, etc are just some of the activities that can be implemented which can result in this attitude shift and create a positive workplace culture.

Information for this article was sourced from www.workplaceohs.com.au . For more information on contact MLA Holdings on 131 652 or www.mlaholdings.com.au.

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Complacency is regarded by many as safety’s worst enemy. Although safety processes are always put in and we start off with the best intentions, confidence and routine inevitably set it, and that almost always leads to complacency. It is not unusual to see operators raising their load while turning their forklift or exceeding speed limits in order to meet deadlines. The pre-start checklist system is another procedure that is frequently skipped. Operators get deceived into a sense of complacency and genuinely believe that the equipment is safe to operate even when taking these shortcuts.

It’s not only operators that are guilty of complacency. The above occurrences are quite common, but how often is this behaviour challenged by managers and supervisors? Until these incidents result in accidents, they go unnoticed in many workplaces, jeopardizing the safety of many employees. It is up to both operators and managers alike to battle complacency.

In regards to forklifts, WorkCover NSW states that:

·         Employers are responsible for providing proper information, training and supervision.

Employees have responsibilities too. WorkCover NSW states that they must:

·         Comply with reasonable instructions, training and information given to them, and follow safe work procedures to do work.

Operators need to be trained to understand the importance of forklift inspection and maintenance as well as safe and correct operation of the machinery. Managers and supervisors must provide site and equipment specific training to maintain and enhance operators’ skills. As things get forgotten and bad habits and complacency form, an effective system of management and supervision needs to be in place to ensure operators receive regular familiarisation and refresher training.

The best way to fight complacency is regular reminders. Safety meetings before every shift are effective as they bring safety awareness to the forefront of everybody’s mind right before they begin each and every shift.

Information for this article was sourced from www.forkliftaction.com and www.workcover.nsw.gov.au. For further forklift safety information contact MLA Holdings on 131 652 or www.mlaholdings.com.au.

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The key role mobile phones play in distracting forklift operators is to take their attention away from the task at hand, whether it’s brief or prolonged. Workplace and warehouse environments, where forklifts commonly operate, are generally confined and high traffic areas. Forklifts are often in close proximity to pedestrians, expensive goods, and other machinery. To ensure the safe operation of forklifts and reduce the risk to others, operators’ full attention is required at all times.

Mobile phones can also be distracting even when they aren’t being used. Operators can lose control of their forklift when seeking to grab an unsecured item that is in danger of falling within the cab area. These items are often mobile phones; however they can also be something as trivial as a pen. The problem is that it's a reflex response and it takes at least one or both hands away from the controls.
Because it’s not against the law, allowing mobile phone use whilst operating forklifts is a decision that needs to be made by management. The first thing to do is carry out a Risk Assessment to determine when and if mobile phone use is necessary at your workplace.

Operators taking or making personal calls while at the wheel should most certainly be prohibited. Where there is a legitimate reason for using the phone for work purposes, a hands-free kit or other safer communication systems should be considered.

It is strongly advised to avoid using mobile phones when operating a forklift. Just as they are to drivers on the roads, mobile phones are a risky distraction to operators of forklifts. After carrying out a Risk Assessment, it is up to management to establish rules regarding mobile phone use at the workplace and enforce them.

Information for this article was sourced from www.forkliftbriefing.co.uk. For further forklift safety information contact MLA Holdings on 131 652 or www.mlaholdings.com.au

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Here are some guidance notes from the consultancy on best practice relating to operating forklifts in workplaces.

Context — high-risk work
High-risk work encompasses scaffolding, dogging and rigging, crane and hoist operation including boom type elevated work platforms (EWPs), reach stackers (intermodal shipping container handling), pressure equipment operation and the operation of forklifts. The focus of this article is on forklift safety.

Training and licensing
Training for high-risk work can only be carried out by an approved Registered Training Organisation (RTO). Approved by WorkCover NSW, RTOs can deliver training and arrange a licence assessment for high-risk work licences in NSW. The outcome of such training is for a forklift driver to be competent in the basic skills and standard procedures. A three-day course is usually involved in obtaining a forklift licence. (Check your states authority body for more information).

Why a licence is not enough
Being competent in a basic sense means just that — basic operations; and, as a result, if a different vehicle is driven from that used in training, issues can arise. Similarly training cannot prepare a driver for the particular idiosyncrasies of a given workplace or the special needs of a particular warehouse or loading dock.  This work environment is where the need for more training and focused workplace training is critical.

Who pays for the licence?
Some awards and agreements may specify who is responsible for paying for a licence and, in such cases, that regulation would settle the matter. It should be noted that businesses do not apply for licences on behalf of their workers — instead, a person must apply for his/her own licence.

In-house training
In the case of forklift drivers, persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) need to ensure these workers are familiar with the workplace, as well as the particular brand and type of forklift they will be operating. Forklift training should also be given due attention by the PCBU when assessing relevant workplace risks. PCBUs can further support their forklift drivers with in-house training by a ‘competent’ person’. A proper training regime would also include a timetable for review of competencies, as well as refresher training on an annual basis. In addition, accurate records should be kept so that the measures put in place can be demonstrated to an inspector.

Information for this article was sourced from http://workplaceohs.com.au.For further forklift safety information contact MLA Holdings on 131 652 or www.mlaholdings.com.au

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1)       Being hit or crushed by a forklift

2)       Being hit or crushed by a load that the forklift is moving

3)       Being crushed in a forklift tip-over

Pedestrians are most at risk of being hit by a forklift if they are:

·         walking alongside it

·         picking stock off a nearby shelf

·         walking in between it and a delivery vehicle

·         stepping into its path, or assisting with loading/unloading.

Keep ‘em separated

The best way to make sure people are not hit by a forklift is to keep them away from forklifts, by using physical barriers like guardrails or overhead walkways. Where this is not possible:

·         schedule work so that forklifts and pedestrians are not in the same area at the same time

·         clearly mark walkways and safe work zones for pedestrians

·         make pedestrian crossings, ideally with boom gates or red/green traffic lights

·         provide dedicated loading and unloading areas for delivery vehicles

·         have a designated exclusion or safety zone for delivery drivers, and wherever possible prevent them from entering the loading area to assist with the loading and unloading of their vehicle.

Use safety devices

If your forklift doesn’t have these safety features, consider retro-fitting them or hiring a forklift with these fitted:

·         “Smart” technologies like proximity devices to trigger signals, boom gates and warning signs.

·         Warning devices like reverse lights, flashing lights, beepers, quackers and focus beams.

·         Speed-limiting devices to reduce forklifts to a walking pace when operating near pedestrians

·         Operator visibility devices like side mirrors and reverse cameras

Don’t lose your load

Most serious injuries and deaths related to a falling load happen when the load isn’t stable on the pallet, or because the operator did not use an attachment when one was needed. Typically, workers are most at risk of being hit by a falling load when they are trying to help the operator stabilise it, load or unload, or generally if working within striking distance.

To ensure their load is safe:

·         use a suitable forklift for the load, with the correct load capacity

·         use and maintain the forklift in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations

·         provide and use stillage bins where appropriate

·         supply suitable attachments for the types of loads to be moved

·         provide training to staff on loading and unloading procedures and the use of attachments

Information for this article was sourced from www.safework.nsw.gov.au. For further forklift safety information contact MLA Holdings on 131 652 or www.mlaholdings.com.au.

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Keep your distance

Fully loaded, a standard forklift and its load can have a combined weight of five or more tonnes.

If you work near forklifts, you are equally at risk from being killed or seriously injured through being hit or crushed by the forklift itself, or being hit or crushed by the load the forklift is moving. You are most at risk of being hit by a forklift or its load if you are:

·         walking alongside it

·         picking stock off a nearby shelf

·         walking in between it and a delivery vehicle

·         stepping in to its path, or

·         assisting with loading/unloading

What you can do:

·         Always keep a safe distance.

·         Stay on pedestrian pathways and/or safety zones.

·         Be aware that a forklift operators field of vision is obscured by the mast and load – don’t assume they have seen you.

·         Never approach a moving forklift to speak with the operator. Wait for the forklift to stop and the operator to acknowledge your presence before approaching.

·         Establish eye contact with the forklift operator before crossing an aisle.

·         Don’t assist in loading or unloading unless you have been trained and authorised to do so.

·         Give way to moving vehicles, including forklifts.

·         Don’t use your mobile or headphones.

·         Wear high visibility clothing and other appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE).

Always follow the site safety rules, traffic management plan and safety instructions from your employer.

Information for this article was sourced from www.safework.nsw.gov.au. For further forklift safety information contact MLA Holdings on 131 652 or www.mlaholdings.com.au

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