The UK Material Handling Association will be marking its official launch in conjunction with this year's National Forklift Safety Day (NFSD).

NFSD 2021 takes place on 8 June and is being promoted for the first time by the UK Material Handling Association, the new voice in UK materials handling formed by the merger of BITA (British Industrial Truck Association) and the FLTA (Fork Lift Truck Association).

UKMHA has planned a live webinar for the day, where senior management will outline why the materials handling industry plays such a key role in the UK economy. They will also outline how the association will work, what its objectives are and how the merger is intended to strengthen the offering of the combined organisations, enhancing the services delivered to members and all those who own and operate forklift trucks.

"The arrival of the UK Material Handling Association is a gamechanger for the industry, and with our strong focus on improving safety standards, we could not have a better day to celebrate our formation than National Forklift Safety Day," says UKMHA CEO Tim Waples.

For the 2021 NFSD campaign, the new body has chosen to focus on the importance of accredited Thorough Examination. The campaign will coincide with the publication of an updated BITA GN28 - the industry-approved guideline on Thorough Examination and Safety Inspection of Industrial Lift Trucks in accordance with the provisions of LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) 1998 and PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) 1998.

Meanwhile, in the United States, the Industrial Truck Association (ITA) has announced that the eighth annual National Forklift Safety Day will take place virtually on June 8.

It notes that NFSD serves as an opportunity for forklift manufacturers and the industry to highlight the safe use of forklifts, the value of operator training and the need for daily equipment checks.

Open to the public, NFSD proceedings will be available for viewing by visiting the Industrial Truck Association's website.

The format for 2021 will follow that of previous events with presentations from government representatives, safety experts and industry representatives, including Brian Feehan, president, Industrial Truck Association; Jay Gusler, ITA chairman and executive vice president operations, Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas; Joseph Hughes, Jr., deputy assistant secretary for pandemic and emergency response, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); and Mike Field, NFSD task force chair and president and CEO, The Raymond Corporation.

"ITA has been the voice of the industrial truck industry for more than 70 years," says Feehan. "We understand there is a critical need for effective forklift operator training, and ITA's National Forklift Safety Day is meant to keep that discussion at the forefront year after year."