HSA Code of Practice Update: Industrial Trucks – What Employers & Operators Need to Know

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has published a new Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Industrial Trucks, which officially comes into operation on 12 September 2025. This updated Code replaces the previous 2001 guidance on rider-operated lift trucks and brings the requirements for training, safe operations, and workplace controls in line with modern practices.

At Ayrton Group, we welcome this update. Industrial trucks – from forklifts to telehandlers – are vital to construction, warehousing, logistics, and manufacturing. But they remain one of the most dangerous types of workplace vehicles, and the HSA’s new Code provides much-needed clarity to reduce risks and save lives.

Why This Matters – The Risks Behind the Update

Industrial trucks are deceptively hazardous. They’re heavy, powerful machines that often operate in busy, confined spaces. While part of the everyday work environment, they cause serious – and often fatal – incidents when things go wrong.

HSA data shows:

• Between 2010 and 2019, 44% of all workplace deaths in Ireland involved vehicles.
• Forklifts alone accounted for 6% of these fatalities, and telehandlers another
• From 2013 to 2022, nearly 18% of all reported transport and handling accidents involved industrial trucks, pallet trucks, or similar equipment.

The most common incidents include:

• Workers struck by moving trucks or falling loads.
• Trucks overturning.
• Operators falling or being crushed between structures.
• Fires or explosions during refuelling or recharging.
• Costly structural damage to racking and facilities.

These aren’t isolated events – they’re recurring risks in every industry that relies on lift trucks. The new Code of Practice is designed to tackle these risks head-on.

Key Updates in the New Code

The HSA has broadened the Code’s scope and tightened expectations across four key areas – safe operators, safe vehicles, safe workplaces, and safe operations

1. Training and Competence

• Employers must ensure operators are properly trained, assessed, and authorised in writing.
• Operator training now follows a three-stage process:
  1. Basic training (core skills and safety knowledge).
  2. Function-specific training (workplace layouts, attachments, and specific loads).
  3. Supervised on-the-job training before independent operation.
• Training must be carried out to a recognised standard. For counterbalance and reach trucks, this includes QQI-accredited courses (Level 5) with instructors qualified to at least QQI Level 6 “Train the Trainer”.
• The recommended trainee:instructor:truck ratio is 3:1:1, ensuring hands-on, safe practice.
• Refresher and conversion training are explicitly required where operators change equipment, return after absence, or demonstrate unsafe practices.

2. Safe Vehicles

• Employers must select trucks that are fit for purpose and fitted with modern safety features, such as seat belts, restraints, tip-over protection, and auxiliary vision aids.
• Daily pre-use checks, documented defect reporting, and a preventive maintenance programme are mandatory.
• Specific provisions are included for refuelling and recharging to prevent fire and explosion risks.

3. Safe Workplaces

• Clear segregation of pedestrians and trucks is required, using physical barriers, marked routes, and safe crossings.
• Truck operating routes must be suitable, well-lit, obstruction-free, and regularly maintained.
• Additional requirements cover ventilation, signage, and truck use on loading platforms, trailers, and even public roads.

4. Safe Operations

• Rules now cover parking, lifting, working with attachments, carrying passengers, and operating in high-risk environments.
• Operators and nearby workers must wear appropriate PPE, including high-visibility clothing.
• Employers must control visitor and contractor access, ensuring that anyone on site is trained or supervised appropriately.

What This Means for Employers and Workers

For employers, the message is clear: training certificates alone are not enough. You are responsible for ensuring operators remain competent, safe, and supervised throughout their employment.

Practical implications include:

• Reviewing and updating risk assessments specifically for industrial truck use.
• Ensuring all operators – including agency staff and contractors – meet the new standards.
• Keeping detailed training and supervision records.
• Reviewing workplace layouts to ensure truck and pedestrian safety.
• Providing refresher or conversion training where required.

For workers, the Code reinforces your responsibility to operate trucks only as trained, to follow safe systems of work, and to report hazards or unsafe conditions.

Ayrton Group’s Perspective

At Ayrton Group, we believe this update represents a step forward for workplace safety in Ireland. Too often, we see accidents caused not by a lack of training, but by out-of-date training, complacency, or poor workplace design.

We support businesses through:

• Industrial truck operator training – novice, refresher, and conversion courses aligned with the new Code.
• Supervisor training – ensuring managers can recognise unsafe practices and enforce standards.
• Workplace audits and consultancy – helping employers assess risks, design safer traffic layouts, and maintain compliance.
• Policy development – including training records, contractor management, and accident reporting systems.

Conclusion

The new Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Industrial Trucks is more than a regulatory update – it’s a practical blueprint for preventing accidents and safeguarding lives.

Adopting the Code means building a workplace where:

• Operators are trained and competent.
• Vehicles are well-maintained and fit for purpose.
• Workplaces are designed with safety in mind.
• Operations are controlled, supervised, and documented.

At Ayrton Group, we’re here to help you implement these standards and protect both your workforce and your business.