BITA and RTITB ink deal to raise FLT training standards

By formalising their existing close working relationship, the two organisations hope to achieve a number of common goals, namely:

• Promoting and supporting high standards of training and safety to minimise risk and accidents involving workplace transport;    

• Raising awareness of the logistics sector amongst a younger audience and promoting it as an attractive career path;

• Harnessing current and emerging technology to ensure accessibility to training for the modern, technology-driven audience.

The two bodies hope to build on the minimum standards enabled by L117, the approved code of practice related to safe use of lift trucks.

The organisations are open to broadening the agreement to encompass other accrediting bodies in the future.

Among the key goals the collaboration will tackle is the creation of consistent cross-industry forklift qualifications.

James Clark, secretary general of BITA, the trade body that represents fork lift truck manufacturers and suppliers, said: “We have considered RTITB as a valuable partner in helping us to achieve higher standards of training for many years, and this new initiative formalises our existing arrangement into something more rigorous and tangible.

“BITA aims to support the industry in creating a younger, highly-trained workforce capable of competing at a global level, and we view RTITB as the ideal partner to help us achieve this. It is a highly respected training organisation, and our closer collaboration will allow our members - who produce over 90% of the fork lift trucks sold in this country - greater access to the highest standards of training.

We look forward to working with RTITB and to forming a long-lasting relationship with the mutual aim of driving down industrial accidents and the dreadful, often tragic consequences they bring.”

RTITB's vision is to create a family of committed partners using workplace transport training standards which place efficiency, people and maximum safety at their heart. Among its many objectives, RTITB wishes to revamp material handling equipment training, and views BITA as a key partner in its quest to achieve this.

“At RTITB, our sole mission is to reduce costs and save lives in workplace equipment operations. To achieve such a big goal, we work with committed partners who share our vision for a safer, more efficient world. BITA are a perfect partner and we will be working with James and his team to promote and support high standards of forklift truck training in order to reduce incidents and their severity in the ubiquitous world of fork lift use”, says Laura Nelson, managing director of RTITB.

By leveraging current and emerging technology, such as simulators, virtual reality and augmented reality, RTITB aims to ensure accessibility to training for digital natives – including Millennials and Generation Z - while at the same time helping to reduce the overall cost and impact of training for today’s busy employers.

Through the use of these technologies, it is RTITB’s belief that training engagement among this young target audience will improve and result in vastly improved learning outcomes.

With this agreement in place between two industry-leading bodies, further announcements will be made in the near future about the form the training will take and the way in which BITA members – and the wider industry – can benefit from it.