UNITED KINGDOM / AGILITYPR.NEWS / February 12, 2026 / Pallet Truck Shop, the UK’s largest supplier of pallet and sack trucks, says manual handling is rapidly becoming a board-level concern as rising injury costs, operational downtime and ESG expectations force senior leaders to take a closer look at decisions once left to the shop floor.

In recent years, warehouse equipment has often been viewed as a purely operational matter. However, growing pressure on margins and people is changing that mindset. Injuries linked to poor manual handling can add up to a great amount of direct and indirect costs, from sick leave and agency cover to insurance premiums and lost productivity. At the same time, even short periods of downtime caused by equipment failure can ripple through tightly balanced supply chains.

According to Pallet Truck Shop, these risks are now landing squarely on leadership agendas. Boards are increasingly aware that the most basic equipment decisions can have strategic consequences, particularly in high-volume logistics, retail and manufacturing environments.

Phil Chesworth, Managing Director at Pallet Truck Shop, said the change is long overdue. “Manual handling might sound like a small detail, but the consequences of getting it wrong are anything but,” he said. “When injuries rise or equipment lets a site down, it’s no longer just an operational headache: it becomes a financial, reputational and people issue that senior leaders can’t afford to ignore.”

Chesworth added that procurement decisions are also being scrutinised through an ESG lens. “There’s growing pressure to show that businesses are doing the right thing by their workforce. Choosing safe, well-designed manual handling equipment means - such as pallet trucks, stackers and table trucks - shows a genuine, tangible commitment to worker wellbeing and responsible operations.”

The company notes that poor-quality or poorly maintained pallet trucks often contribute to avoidable strain injuries, especially in environments with high staff turnover or reliance on temporary labour. In contrast, investing in robust, ergonomic equipment helps reduce injury risk, stabilise output and support more consistent operations as warehouses operate with leaner staffing and tighter schedules. 

Pallet Truck Shop says boards are increasingly aware that reliability at ground level underpins resilience at organisational level. 

“Boards are realising that decisions about ‘simple’ equipment directly affect people, performance and perception,” Chesworth concluded. “In today’s environment, that makes them leadership decisions, not just operational ones.”

To find out more about Pallet Truck Shop, visit: www.pallettruckshop.co.uk.