Practical recommendations abound at National Forklift Safety Day 2024
OSHA, industrial safety, and forklift industry leaders addressed real-life considerations in enhancing operator safety at the 11th annual Industrial Truck Association (ITA) program.
Contributing Editor Toby Gooley is a freelance writer and editor specializing in supply chain, logistics, material handling, and international trade. She previously was Editor at CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly. and Senior Editor of SCQ's sister publication, DC VELOCITY. Prior to joining AGiLE Business Media in 2007, she spent 20 years at Logistics Management magazine as Managing Editor and Senior Editor covering international trade and transportation. Prior to that she was an export traffic manager for 10 years. She holds a B.A. in Asian Studies from Cornell University.
The Industrial Truck Association (ITA) created National Forklift Safety Day as an opportunity to educate customers, policymakers, and government officials about the safe use of forklifts and the importance of effective operator and pedestrian training. Those topics were front and center at ITA’s 11th annual National Forklift Safety Day program, held June 11 in Washington, D.C.
Reginald Jackson, of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) Office of General Industry and Agricultural Enforcement, emphasized the agency’s mission to ensure “equal access to the highest safety standards” for all workers and to “eliminate barriers that make it harder for some workers to be safe.” Everyone has the right to representation in health and safety matters and to fair treatment by their employers, regardless of the size of the company or the industry they work in, he said; accordingly, OSHA is “embedding equity in everything we do.”
Jackson also spoke about National Emphasis Programs (NEPs) that target specific areas for more intense scrutiny. One example is the NEP on warehousing and distribution center operations, which has opened 623 inspections since it went into effect in July 2023, he noted. The most common violations to date, he said, have been unsafe electrical usage; facility maintenance issues such as blocked exits; inadequate or improper forklift safety training; and lack of seatbelts. A separate NEP targeting outdoor and indoor heat-related hazards has been very active, initiating more than 4,300 inspections since it launched in April 2022, he said.
Cesar Jimenez, vice president of regulatory affairs, product planning, product assurance, and automated solutions, Toyota Material Handling Inc., is this year’s National Forklift Safety Day chair. He began with an overview of ITA’s engineering committee’s role in helping to develop and update forklift safety standards. He then segued to safety technology, emphasizing that it is an adjunct to, and not a substitute for, proper operator training.
After touching on available technologies such as blue and red lights, proximity sensing, and forklift-mounted cameras, Jimenez offered some thoughts about the future. While some current safety technologies will become common in the next five to 10 years, he would like to see some become standard, rather than optional, “similar to what happened in the auto industry.” Jimenez also expects to see new artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technologies that can, for example, anticipate collisions and provide predictive analytics for lift truck maintenance.
Larry Pearlman, president and founder, SafetyAnd Consulting Associates, called safety “a head and heart journey” that requires leadership, technical expertise, and a culture that values people throughout the organization. A safety culture, he explained, incorporates elements that are tangible (management systems and key performance indicators, hazard management processes, and organizational structure and accountabilities) and intangible (safety leadership and commitment, behaviors, and competencies). He recommended engaging with the procurement organization to make clear that paying more for good equipment design and safety-assist technology can produce a measurable “return on risk reduction,” as he put it.
While safety must be a companywide priority, Pearlman said, frontline leaders have the greatest day-to-day impact on safety; a single decision or act can have a widespread impact. Supervisors who solicit feedback from forklift operators in a targeted but supportive and conversational way enhance operators’ engagement, bringing measurable improvements in safety performance, he said.
Ajay Bhardwaj, director, environmental health and safety (EHS) – Americas at Adient, a manufacturer of automotive seating running approximately 800 powered industrial trucks, described his company’s approach to safety, which encompasses an array of strategies and policies. A partial list includes:
Ensure that lessons are learned from incidents by mandating the sharing of information among all facilities. This includes discussions of the causes of, appropriate responses to, and prevention of incidents.
Adjust metrics to reflect changing circumstances and priorities. “The problems and opportunities of today are not those of the future,” Bhardwaj said.
Embed safety into functional responsibilities. For example, packaging design, industrial engineering, warehouse and material handling layout, and other functional areas have “intertwined responsibilities and oversight” that influence each other’s performance, and thus impact safety, Bhardwaj said.
Carefully evaluate technology that can reduce risk. Adient gives “honest feedback” to vendors and is willing to ask for modifications or walk away if the technology does not fit the company’s needs, Bhardwaj said.
A video recording of the June 11 program is available on ITA’s website for on-demand viewing at no charge. To watch the video, go to www.indtrk.org/national-forklift-safety-day.
Approval of California’s zero emissions forklift rule may be near
In a separate meeting, ITA General Counsel Gary Cross provided members with an update on a California Air Resources Board (CARB) proposed regulation that would require most forklifts operating in the state to produce zero emissions. The rule would phase out sales and operation of certain types of internal combustion equipment and phase in electric and hydrogen fuel cell equipment over a period of years. (DC Velocityreported on the proposed rule in 2021.) It includes a number of exceptions, such as for diesel-powered equipment and specified outdoor applications. ITA and CARB have held a series of discussions for the past three-plus years; the state agency “has agreed with key ITA positions” and made some related modifications to the proposed final rule, which will likely be adopted later this year, according to Cross. CARB will hold a public hearing on June 27, which interested parties can attend in person or via Zoom. DC Velocity will publish an update on the main provisions of the final rule in July.
For more than 70 years, the Industrial Truck Association has represented industrial truck manufacturers and suppliers of component parts and accessories that conduct business in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization maintains an influential voice in international standards development for the industry. ITA also advances engineering practices to promote safe products, disseminates statistical marketplace information, and provides industry forums for learning and networking.
Online merchants should consider seven key factors about American consumers in order to optimize their sales and operations this holiday season, according to a report from DHL eCommerce.
First, many of the most powerful sales platforms are marketplaces. With nearly universal appeal, 99% of U.S. shoppers buy from marketplaces, ranked in popularity from Amazon (92%) to Walmart (68%), eBay (47%), Temu (32%), Etsy (28%), and Shein (21%).
Second, they use them often, with 61% of American shoppers buying online at least once a week. Among the most popular items are online clothing and footwear (63%), followed by consumer electronics (33%) and health supplements (30%).
Third, delivery is a crucial aspect of making the sale. Fully 94% of U.S. shoppers say delivery options influence where they shop online, and 45% of consumers abandon their baskets if their preferred delivery option is not offered.
That finding meshes with another report released this week, as a white paper from FedEx Corp. and Morning Consult said that 75% of consumers prioritize free shipping over fast shipping. Over half of those surveyed (57%) prioritize free shipping when making an online purchase, even more than finding the best prices (54%). In fact, 81% of shoppers are willing to increase their spending to meet a retailer’s free shipping threshold, FedEx said.
In additional findings from DHL, the Weston, Florida-based company found:
43% of Americans have an online shopping subscription, with pet food subscriptions being particularly popular (44% compared to 25% globally). Social Media Influence:
61% of shoppers use social media for shopping inspiration, and 26% have made a purchase directly on a social platform.
37% of Americans buy from online retailers in other countries, with 70% doing so at least once a month. Of the 49% of Americans who buy from abroad, most shop from China (64%), followed by the U.K. (29%), France (23%), Canada (15%), and Germany (13%).
While 58% of shoppers say sustainability is important, they are not necessarily willing to pay more for sustainable delivery options.
Gulf Coast businesses in Louisiana and Texas are keeping a watchful eye on the latest storm to emerge from the Gulf Of Mexico this week, as Hurricane Rafael nears Cuba.
The category 2 storm’s edges could also brush Florida as it heads northwest, causing tropical storm force winds in the lower and middle Florida keys. However, the weather agency said it is too soon to forecast Rafael’s impact on the U.S. western Gulf Coast.
In the face of campaign pledges by Donald Trump to boost tariffs on imports, many U.S. business interests are pushing back on that policy plan following Trump’s election yesterday as president-elect.
U.S. firms are already rushing to import goods before the promised tariff increases take effect, to avoid potential cost increases. That’s because tariffs are paid by the domestic companies that order the goods, not by the foreign nation that makes them.
That dynamic would likely increase prices for U.S. consumers as importers pass along the extra cost in the form of price hikes, according to an analysis by the National Retail Federation (NRF). Specifically, Trump’s tariff plan would boost prices in six consumer product categories: apparel, toys, furniture, household appliances, footwear, and travel goods. “Retailers rely heavily on imported products and manufacturing components so that they can offer their customers a variety of products at affordable prices,” NRF Vice President of Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said in a release. “A tariff is a tax paid by the U.S. importer, not a foreign country or the exporter. This tax ultimately comes out of consumers’ pockets through higher prices.”
The rush to avoid those swollen costs can already be measured in the form of rising rates for transporting ocean freight, as companies start buffering their inventories before the new administration officially announces tariff hikes. Transpacific rates are still $1,000/FEU or more above their April lows, showing increased ocean volumes and climbing rates generated by shippers’ concerns about supply chain disruptions including port strikes and the Trump tariff increases, supply chain visibility provider Freightos said in an analysis. "The Trump win may start shaking up supply chains even before he takes office. Just the anticipation of higher tariffs may lead importers to pull forward shipments, creating a preemptive freight frenzy," Judah Levine, Head of Research at Freightos, said in a release. “Frontloading will cause freight rates to feel the heat as importers race to dodge the extra costs, similar to what took place with Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods in 2018 and 2019."
Another group sounding a note of caution about international trade developments was the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA), a trade group which represents some 1,500 member companies in more than 90 countries that provide temperature-controlled warehousing, logistics, and transportation. “We congratulate President Trump on his election. We also congratulate all those who have been elected to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives,” GCCA President and CEO Sara Stickler said in a statement. “We are also committed to promoting the growth of exports from U.S.-based food production and broader manufacturing sectors. We will engage constructively in the policy discussion about future trade policy and continue to make the case for the importance of maintaining balanced and resilient trade routes for food and other temperature-controlled products across the world.”
Businesses in the European Union (EU) were likewise wary of tariff plans, judging by a statement from the VDMA, a trade group representing 3,600 German and European machinery and equipment manufacturing companies. "Donald Trump's second term will be a greater challenge for German and European industry than his first presidency. We must take his tariff announcements seriously, in particular. This will once again put a noticeable strain on transatlantic trade and investment relations," VDMA Executive Director Thilo Brodtmann said in a statement. “The USA is and will remain the most important export market outside the EU for mechanical and plant engineering from Germany. Our companies offer the products required to implement the re-industrialization of the USA that Donald Trump is striving for. The VDMA's overall outlook for the American market therefore remains positive."
In addition to its flagship Clorox bleach product, Oakland, California-based Clorox manages a diverse catalog of brands including Hidden Valley Ranch, Glad, Pine-Sol, Burt’s Bees, Kingsford, Scoop Away, Fresh Step, 409, Brita, Liquid Plumr, and Tilex.
British carbon emissions reduction platform provider M2030 is designed to help suppliers measure, manage and reduce carbon emissions. The new partnership aims to advance decarbonization throughout Clorox's value chain through the collection of emissions data, jointly identified and defined actions for reduction and continuous upskilling.
The program, which will record key figures on energy, will be gradually rolled out to several suppliers of the company's strategic raw materials and packaging, which collectively represents more than half of Clorox's scope 3 emissions.
M2030 enables suppliers to regularly track and share their progress with other customers using the M2030 platform. Suppliers will also be able to export relevant compatible data for submission to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a global disclosure system to manage environmental data.
"As part of Clorox's efforts to foster a cleaner world, we have a responsibility to ensure our suppliers are equipped with the capabilities necessary for forging their own sustainability journeys," said Niki King, Chief Sustainability Officer at The Clorox Company. "Climate action is a complex endeavor that requires companies to engage all parts of their supply chain in order to meaningfully reduce their environmental impact."
Supply chain risk analytics company Everstream Analytics has launched a product that can quantify the impact of leading climate indicators and project how identified risk will impact customer supply chains.
Expanding upon the weather and climate intelligence Everstream already provides, the new “Climate Risk Scores” tool enables clients to apply eight climate indicator risk projection scores to their facilities and supplier locations to forecast future climate risk and support business continuity.
The tool leverages data from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to project scores to varying locations using those eight category indicators: tropical cyclone, river flood, sea level rise, heat, fire weather, cold, drought and precipitation.
The Climate Risk Scores capability provides indicator risk projections for key natural disaster and weather risks into 2040, 2050 and 2100, offering several forecast scenarios at each juncture. The proactive planning tool can apply these insights to an organization’s systems via APIs, to directly incorporate climate projections and risk severity levels into your action systems for smarter decisions. Climate Risk scores offer insights into how these new operations may be affected, allowing organizations to make informed decisions and mitigate risks proactively.
“As temperatures and extreme weather events around the world continue to rise, businesses can no longer ignore the impact of climate change on their operations and suppliers,” Jon Davis, Chief Meteorologist at Everstream Analytics, said in a release. “We’ve consulted with the world’s largest brands on the top risk indicators impacting their operations, and we’re thrilled to bring this industry-first capability into Explore to automate access for all our clients. With pathways ranging from low to high impact, this capability further enables organizations to grasp the full spectrum of potential outcomes in real-time, make informed decisions and proactively mitigate risks.”