Forklift technicians are being placed at the centre of a major safety campaign as new industry figures highlight the scale of workplace injuries across the material handling sector.
The 12th UK National Forklift Safety Day will take place on 9 June 2026, organised by the UK Material Handling Association.
This year’s campaign will focus on technician safety and the risks faced by engineers and service staff working across the industry.
National Forklift Safety Day is one of the sector’s leading safety initiatives, promoting best practice in the operation, maintenance and management of forklift trucks.
The UK Material Handling Association said this year’s campaign would highlight the essential role played by engineers and service technicians in keeping equipment safe, efficient and compliant.
It will also raise awareness of the risks they face, particularly when working away from their own premises.
The campaign is supported by UKMHA workplace injury data, which points to a number of recurring concerns.
Between 2019 and 2025, UK forklift suppliers lost an average of more than 1,000 working days each year because of workplace injuries.
The figures show that 85% of recorded incidents involved technicians working at customer premises.
Nearly 40% of incidents were caused by poor manual handling or simple slips and trips, while more than 20% of injuries leading to time off work were linked to manual handling.
One third of incidents occurred when technicians were not actively working on material handling equipment itself.
David Goss, technical director of UKMHA, said the figures showed the need for greater awareness and prevention across the sector.
“Every year in the UK material handling industry, one in every 80 people suffers a serious injury, and many of these incidents are entirely preventable,” he said.
He added that the association had published technician accident data on the National Forklift Safety Day website.
“The figures show that lost-time injuries result in an average of more than two weeks off work,” he said.
“More importantly, behind every statistic is a person, and a moment that could have been avoided.”
UKMHA said its long-term aim was to reduce safety incidents and accidents involving material handling equipment by improving working practices around common tasks.
The association said this would be achieved through guidance, training and greater awareness across the industry.
As part of the campaign, UKMHA has developed a series of bite-sized toolbox talks covering common workplace risks and practical safety measures.
Topics include manual handling techniques, safe access and egress from equipment, and LPG cylinder handling.
The association said technician safety on customer sites should be seen as a shared responsibility between employers and customers.
To support this, UKMHA provides a Site Induction Checklist and is encouraging businesses to sign up to its Safe Working Area Charter.
The charter is designed to promote safer site conditions for visiting technicians and encourage closer collaboration between service providers and end users.
Now in its 12th year, National Forklift Safety Day will again see UKMHA members and supporting organisations share safety messages, resources and best practice across their businesses and social media channels.
Although the second Tuesday in June has traditionally hosted the event, UKMHA said its wider ambition was to make every day national forklift safety day.