Toyota Material Handling to attend National Forklift Safety Day

Annual event highlights the importance of operator training and responsible forklift use.

Toyota graphic reads: Forklift Safety: Every move matters. National Forklift Safety Day, June 10

Graphic courtesy of Toyota Material Handling

Toyota Material Handling, a Columbus, Indiana-based material handling manufacturer and solutions provider, has announced it will support the 12th-annual National Forklift Safety Day June 10 in Washington.

Hosted annually by the Industrial Truck Association (ITA), National Forklift Safety Day highlights the critical importance of operator training and responsible forklift use. With approximately 4.5 million forklift operators in the U.S. workforce, Toyota says it continues to emphasize the need to foster a culture of safety as a cornerstone of operational success.

“At Toyota, we understand that a lasting culture of safety is built on sharing knowledge and best practices, which we call yokoten,” says Bret Bruin, vice president of Toyota sales for Toyota Material Handling North America (TMHNA). “Operator training supports our shared responsibility to protect lives and prevent incidents.”

Toyota has supported National Forklift Safety since its inception in 2014, when Brett Wood, TMHNA president and CEO and the current ITA chairman, served on the founding committee. Only the second person in the ITA’s 70-year history to be elected twice as chairman of the board of directors, Wood has led pioneering advancements in the industry, emphasizing sustainability, safety and technological innovation during his more than 35 years in the material handling industry, the company says. Wood will speak during the 12th-annual event at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday morning. 

This year, Toyota says it is championing the theme “Every Move Matters,” which emphasizes how everyday decisions such as checking blind spots, buckling seatbelts and maintaining safe speeds lay the foundation for a safer work environment.

Toyota’s commitment to innovation is evident through nearly 30 years of its patented System of Active Stability (SAS), a technology that reduces the risk of forklift tip-overs and transformed industry safety standards.

Building on that foundation is the Smart Environment Sensor Plus, which the company says enhances situational awareness by helping operators detect pedestrians and obstacles in certain environments. Smart Environment Sensor Plus features include dynamic zoning, adjustable truck slowdown and backward movement prevention. Both technologies are integral components of Toyota Assist, a comprehensive suite designed to enhance operability, productivity and operator awareness.

During Wood’s first term as ITA chairman, he helped develop the association’s inaugural Lifting America: The Economic Impact of Industrial Truck Manufacturers, Distributors and Dealers report. The 2025 edition reveals that the industrial truck sector directly supports 257,500 U.S. jobs. For each of those, 2.8 jobs are created across the broader economy, emphasizing the industry’s widespread influence and its responsibility to lead with a safety-first mindset.

Toyota’s customer-first approach reflects its foundational principle of kaizen, or continuous improvement. Through its network of more than 230 dealer locations across North America, Toyota offers free site surveys, expert consultations and training programs. This focus on education supports the industry’s mission to provide consistent and effective safety training across all sectors.

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Toyota says its continued support of National Forklift Safety Day reflects its dedication to corporate social responsibility and to helping others carry the load.

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