Picking up a load may seem like a simple manoeuvre, yet if not done properly, damage to the goods or worse still personal injury can occur. If your company has a requirement to deal with heavy items, taking shortcuts could expose you to a large amount of risk. In extreme cases a badly executed lift using incorrect tools and poor planning can result in a major incident.

A recent incident reported by the Fork Lift Truck Association of a lift that was inadequately managed, cost one concrete solutions company £300,000 in fines, over £10,000 in costs and more alarmingly injury to a member of personnel.

This was due to a poorly planned unloading operation using a forklift truck. The incident occurred whilst a worker was removing wooden struts that concrete blocks had been resting on, slipped off the forks and fell onto the worker. This resulted in serious crush injuries to one of his legs, which eventually had to be amputated from the shin down.

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Many businesses require at least one forklift on their premises to address loading and handling duties. However, some companies overlook the importance of selecting the correct forklift attachment, or a collection of attachments, which is paramount when you require a forklift to do more than just lift and move heavy objects.

Many different forklift attachments are available to help provide safer handling, reduce product damage and increase efficiency and productivity in the workplace. Established for over 35 years, B&B Attachments Ltd is the leading fork lift truck attachment company in the UK and Ireland. B&B pride itself on providing the most comprehensive range of attachments available for all industries. B&B also design and manufacture bespoke, specialist attachments in-house for customers with unique requirements.

Mike Barton, Managing Director at B&B Attachments, said: "Attachments can be a huge benefit to any business that has the requirement to move, lift, layer pick, split loads or turn its products in a certain way. Not only do attachments improve safety but they also increase productivity by eliminating wasted time, space and man power during the material handling process."