National Forklift Safety Day (NFSD) is an annual event sponsored by the Industrial Truck Association (ITA), the trade group representing forklift manufacturers in the United States and Canada. Held each June, it highlights the safe use of forklifts and the importance of operator training. The 2026 event, the 13th, was held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., and streamed live.
For employers, the day is a reminder that forklift safety rests on three things you control: trained and evaluated operators, trucks checked before every shift, and a workplace laid out to keep pedestrians and trucks apart.
When Is National Forklift Safety Day in 2027?
ITA has not yet announced the 2027 date. The event is held in June, and the 2026 edition took place on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. ITA posts event details on its National Forklift Safety Day page.
You do not need to wait for the official program to plan your own activities. Pencil in a date in early to mid June, then align it with the ITA event once the date is confirmed.
Why It Matters at Work
Forklifts are everyday equipment in warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing plants, retail backrooms and loading docks, which makes their hazards easy to underestimate. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 614 workers died in forklift-related incidents from 2011 to 2017, and forklifts were involved in more than 7,000 nonfatal injuries with days away from work every year in that period. In 2017 alone, forklifts were involved in 9,050 such injuries and illnesses.
The ways people get hurt are well documented. OSHA points to trucks driven off loading docks, trucks falling between a dock and an unsecured trailer, workers struck by a lift truck, and falls from elevated pallets and forks. OSHA's hazard resources also include fatality case reports involving tip-overs and falling loads. Pedestrians are at particular risk in busy, mixed-use areas.
OSHA is also clear that it is a violation of federal law for anyone under 18 to operate a forklift, and for anyone over 18 to operate one without proper training and certification.
How to Take Part
- Watch the ITA program. The event is streamed live, and ITA posts presentation materials on its site afterward. Share relevant segments with supervisors.
- Use ITA's resources. ITA's OSHA and education resources include a daily checklist for powered industrial trucks and summaries of operator training rules and rules for youth workers.
- Audit operator records. Confirm that every operator has completed training and an evaluation on the type of truck they drive, and that evaluations are no more than three years old.
- Observe operators in action. Have supervisors or trainers watch real work for speed, load handling, travel with forks raised and seat belt use.
- Walk the traffic routes. Look at blind corners, crosswalks, dock edges, aisle markings and lighting. Ask pedestrians where they feel least safe.
- Check pre-shift inspections. Pull a sample of recent checklists. Are they complete, and were defects reported and fixed before the truck went back into use?
- Collect near misses. Invite crews to report near misses involving forklifts. They often reveal layout problems before an injury does.
Forklift Safety Day falls during National Safety Month, so it fits naturally into a broader June campaign.
Toolbox Talk: Forklifts and Pedestrians
- Only trained, authorized operators drive. If you have not been trained and evaluated on this type of truck, do not operate it, even to move it a few feet.
- Check the truck every shift. Brakes, steering, horn, lights, forks, chains, tires and fluid leaks get checked before use. A truck with a safety defect stays out of service until it is fixed.
- Make eye contact. Pedestrians should never assume the operator sees them. Operators sound the horn at intersections and blind spots and slow down where people walk.
- Carry loads low and stable. Travel with forks lowered, keep loads within the rated capacity and drive in reverse if the load blocks your view.
- Protect the dock edge. Confirm trailers are secured before driving in, and keep clear of unprotected edges.
- Nobody rides on the forks. Never lift a person on forks or a pallet unless it is an approved work platform used as designed.
Discussion question: Where in our facility do forklifts and people come closest together, and what one change would make that spot safer?
Related Requirements
OSHA's powered industrial truck standard, 29 CFR 1910.178, covers forklifts in general industry. In plain terms, employers must:
- Ensure each operator is competent, as shown by completing training and an evaluation before operating a truck.
- Evaluate each operator's performance at least once every three years.
- Provide refresher training when an operator is seen driving unsafely, is involved in an accident or near miss, receives a poor evaluation, is assigned a different type of truck, or when workplace conditions change in a way that affects safe operation.
- Examine trucks before placing them in service, at least daily, and remove any truck with a condition that affects its safety.
Read our plain-language guide to Forklifts (PIT) rules, and see OSHA's 1910.178 standard for the full text.
How SMS360 Helps
The training and evaluation rules are where many forklift programs slip. SMS360 Training Management lets you schedule operator training and evaluations, track completion by person and truck type, and see who is coming due for the three-year evaluation before it lapses. Pre-shift forklift inspections can be completed on digital checklists from a mobile device, defects can be turned into corrective actions with owners and deadlines, and incident and near miss reports that trigger refresher training are kept with the operator's records. Dashboards give supervisors a quick view of who is qualified to drive and which items are still open.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is National Forklift Safety Day 2027?
The Industrial Truck Association has not announced the 2027 date yet. The event is held in June, and the 2026 edition was on Tuesday, June 9. Check ITA's National Forklift Safety Day page for the official date.
Who started National Forklift Safety Day?
National Forklift Safety Day is sponsored by the Industrial Truck Association, which represents forklift manufacturers. The 2026 event was its 13th annual edition. ITA uses the day to bring together industry and government speakers on operator training and safe forklift use.
How often do forklift operators need to be evaluated?
Under OSHA's 1910.178, each operator's performance must be evaluated at least once every three years. Refresher training is also required sooner after unsafe operation, an accident or near miss, a poor evaluation, a new type of truck, or a change in workplace conditions.
