Leading forklift truck organisations join forces to provide industry-wide support for organisations, including retailers, wholesalers and suppliers, who own and operate such equipment

The Association of Industrial Truck Trainers (AITT) and the Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) have announced a strategic alliance aimed at maximising the flow of information, guidance and resources to those working within the forklift truck industry, as well as those owning and operating equipment on site.

“It is a perfect fit,” explained AITT managing director Adam Smith. “Both organisations have a wealth of knowledge and experience and are firmly rooted in the real world, delivering innovative and practical initiatives to benefit members and customers alike.”

As a result of the new relationship, AITT will be granted partnership member status by the FLTA. This will allow access to a variety of online information and resources, including member news and Technical Bulletins, along with discounts for the FLTA’s online shop and to its National Forklift Safety Convention, as well as other events.

In return, FLTA members will have access to the AITT website through a new and exclusive category of membership. This will allow FLTA members to download HSE documentation and safety-focused information with a particular emphasis on training in the workplace.

Announcing the alliance, FLTA chief executive Tim Waples said: “Both organisations focus on raising standards and offering the highest quality of support… constantly evolving to meet the needs of a changing landscape.

“We’ve been impressed by AITT’s willingness to think differently. Recently AITT became the first accrediting body to launch a scheme designed to ensure instructors are operating as effectively as possible. Believing that five years is too long to go without monitoring, AITT has introduced a voluntary scheme of annual internal audits to measure and maintain performance standards among accredited trainers.

“Those of our members who carry out their own operator training will, I believe, be very interested in the game-changing new portable electronic testing system — PEFT — that will make the procedure faster and easier for both instructors and operators.”

Summing up, Adam Smith said: “The alliance is intended to give members of both organisations access to additional, expert information and resources. Working with the FLTA — which is recognised as a leading independent authority — I see this as an excellent opportunity for us to work even more closely with manufacturers. In turn, this will ensure that training categories and standards are in place to accurately and appropriately support the increasingly specialised new handling equipment entering the market.”