EnerSys will once again unite with the Industrial Truck Association (ITA) to support the annual National Forklift Safety Day. Now in its seventh year, this special day will be held on June 9, 2020, and serves as an important reminder in keeping the safety of forklift operators top of mind. This year’s event carries even greater importance due to the global crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, as supply chain operations are in overdrive to ensure the flow of products and resources in all industries across the nation.   

ITA’s National Forklift Safety Day provides a platform to educate the industry about the safe use of forklifts and the importance of proper operator training to avoid injury. The ITA works closely with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to facilitate training seminars and develop educational resources to emphasize safe practices in warehouse environments. According to OSHA, common injuries occur when lift trucks are inadvertently driven off loading docks, lifts fall between docks and an unsecured trailer, a lift truck strikes another lift truck, or they fall while on elevated pallets and tines.

“This year’s celebration of National Forklift Safety Day is especially unique due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 and validates even more the importance of safety and operator training,” said Harold Vanasse, Senior Director of Marketing, Motive Power Americas at EnerSys. “Despite the challenges that remain as a result of this global health crisis, we applaud ITA for their unwavering drive to raise awareness about this pertinent industry topic.”

The speakers and their general topics for National Forklift Safety Day 2020 include:

  • Brian Feehan, President, Industrial Truck Association – Moderator
  • Jay Gusler, ITA Chairman of the Board & Executive Vice President of Operations, Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. (MCFA) – Welcome & Overview
  • Loren Sweatt, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) – OSHA Updates/Resources
  • Chuck Leon, Technical Specialist, Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS) – Pedestrian Safety
  • Scott Bicksler, Lead Safety Manager, Aerotek – Temporary Employee Safety
  • Chuck Moratz, NFSD Task Force Chair & Senior Vice President, Global Engineering, CLARK Material Handling Company – Forklift Industry Safety

This year ITA’s National Forklift Safety Day (NFSD) 2020 will be held as a virtual event on June 9, 2020 at 9:00 AM east coast time. NFSD 2020, open to everyone, video of speakers and presentations will be available by visiting ITA’s web site (www.indtrk.org) and DC Velocity’s web site (www.dcvelocity.com). The format will remain the same with presentations from government representatives, safety experts and industry representatives.

About EnerSys

EnerSys, the global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, manufactures and distributes reserve power and motive power batteries, battery chargers, power equipment, battery accessories and outdoor equipment enclosure solutions to customers worldwide. Motive power batteries and chargers are utilized in electric forklift trucks and other commercial electric-powered vehicles. Reserve power batteries are used in the telecommunication and utility industries, uninterruptible power supplies, and numerous applications requiring stored energy solutions including medical, aerospace and defense systems. EnerSys provides highly integrated power solutions and services to broadband, telecom, renewable and industrial customers. Outdoor equipment enclosure products are utilized in the telecommunication, cable, utility, transportation industries and by government and defense customers. The company also provides aftermarket and customer support services to its customers from over 100 countries through its sales and manufacturing locations around the world.

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