BITA Consultants

Two specialist consultants supply deep industry expertise to underwrite BITA’s important activities in Technical Policy and Statistics.

Bob Hine IEng MIMechE
Technical Consultant

Bob Hine is a qualified engineer with 37 years’ experience in the Materials Handling industry, including a senior postion with Linde Materials Handling UK Ltd where he managed the UK and overseas Service Product Support Team. Bob also represents the British Standards institute as a Technical Expert in standards making activity for both Europe and Worldwide.

David Miller BA(Hons) MMRS
Chairman, BITA Statistics Committee

BITA is the UK’s sole provider of industrial truck sales statistics, supplying its members and industry watchers with accurate and up to date information on the state of the fork-lift truck market. David has been involved with the BITA Statistics Committee since 1994 when he joined the industrial truck industry to work at BT Rolatruc Ltd, now Toyota Material Handling UK.

BITA's Contribution to the HSE's new warehouse
safety guide

Early in 2008 the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) published a second edition of its book Warehousing And Storage: A Guide To Health And Safety (HSG 76). This is an essential best practice manual to help maximise safety in all aspects of warehousing and storage operations.

The new edition of the book included extensive co-operation between the HSE and the Warehousing Health and Safety Forum (WHSF). The WHSF is a committee of experts drawn from trade associations, trade unions and employer organisations – and the British Industrial Truck Association, BITA, is a member.

BITA's key concern was emphasising the importance of proper, effective maintenance and inspection of lift trucks. The HSE book includes a tabular listing of all commonly-used industrial truck types, together with the statutory instruments governing their inspection regimes, and the maximum inspection intervals applicable to each.

For peace of mind and full legal compliance, operators should choose a Thorough Examination provider accredited by the CFTS Thorough Examination scheme, in which BITA is a joint stakeholder.

Warehousing And Storage: A Guide To Health And Safety
HSE Books, 2007, 124pp. ISBN 9780717662258. Price £14.50+VAT

Cover image © HSE