Toyota Material Handling (TMH) is using National Forklift Safety Day 2021, held June 8, as an opportunity to reinforce the importance of operator safety in material handling environments.

More than 4.5 million forklift operators are employed in 300 different industries in the U.S., says a report from the Industrial Truck Association (ITA) and Oxford Economics. That number will continue to rise, and as current forklift operators learn to work in new and evolving environments, a renewed focus on operator safety is paramount.

National Forklift Safety Day, sponsored by the ITA, is an annual event that serves as the focal point for forklift manufacturers to educate customers, policymakers, and government officials about the safe use of forklifts and the importance of proper operator training. Toyota’s offerings include no-cost forklift consultations and free site audits.

“Logistics are different in 2021, and so are operator’s safety needs,” said Tom Lego, TMH brand ambassador. “Ongoing training is critically important for both novice and veteran forklift operators, especially with all the new technology found in today’s equipment. Even professional athletes go back and practice fundamentals as they prepare for the upcoming season. Forklift operators can benefit from doing the same thing. National Forklift Safety Day is a great opportunity for us in the material handling industry to refocus and reinforce the fundamentals of safety.”

Operator training is available on request from any one of the more than 230 Toyota dealer locations in the U.S, and TMH also created a resource libraryof forklift safety information.