The annual RTITB Safety Summit and Training Awards on Thursday 9 October brought together a passionate community of safety champions in Manchester. From training providers and professional Instructors to transport operators, health and safety leaders, and policy makers, every attendee was there to explore better training, safer practices, and improved compliance – the foundation for saving lives in workplace transport, logistics, and warehousing operations.
The event explored what it truly means to build confident, competent teams that deliver real, measurable results. As well as ways that the proven RTITB Safety Chain approach can help embed into every link of an operation.
Where connection meets action – RTITB Safety Summit
The RTITB Safety Summit is more than just a conference. It’s a collective movement towards shaping safer workplaces for all. Through thought-provoking presentations, lively panel discussions and a highly focused exhibition, meaningful conversations were sparked, helping build a community committed to making a difference.
Attendees this year did so much more than just listen to the expert speakers. They engaged, challenged, networked, and collaborated. And they left with practical strategies, fresh ideas, and renewed energy to drive change in their own workplaces.
Real challenges. Real solutions. Real impact.
Sessions were designed around the real-world challenges our industry faces every day. From culture to compliance, every topic was tackled with honesty and insight. The goal? To empower attendees to take action. Because change now can do more than just improve safety. It can save lives.
How do training Instructors transform culture?
To kick things off, Alex Samson, Director of Learning and Systems Development, from RTITB delivered a powerful reminder that forklift Instructors aren’t just trainers. They are the frontline of future safety – leading culture from the ground up, ready for tomorrow’s workplace. In a world of automation, AI, and evolving warehouse operations, the power of human instruction must not be overlooked in installing values and building future ready teams. The message was clear: investing in Instructors and empowering them as confident leaders is key to creating a safety culture that will endure.
Using inclusivity to build a competent, confident workforce
Led by Danny Conlon from FTW Training, Jennifer Swain, Director of Talent, Development & HR at Road to Logistics, and Joe Murfitt from Pall-Ex UK, this compelling panel tackled a deeply human question: “What if your next team member just needed a chance?”
What followed was a masterclass in meaningful inclusion. The panel shared stories that shifted perspectives, showing how opening doors to those often overlooked doesn’t just close skills gaps, it builds loyalty, unlocks potential, and transforms lives. Reminding everyone in the room that logistics doesn’t just move goods. It moves people forward.
A reminder that safety is personal
Jason Anker, co-founder of business consultancy Anker & Marsh didn’t just speak, he moved the room with his personal story. He shared the lift-altering moment when, after falling off a ladder at work, he was left paralysed and in a wheelchair. His story wasn’t just about an accident. It was about what contributed to that moment, and what happened next on his journey to becoming a mentor, author, and speaker, around wellbeing, health, safety, and resilience. His story is a powerful reminder that safety isn’t only about process or following a checklist. It’s personal.
His honesty, vulnerability, and resilience challenged everyone to look beyond procedures and consider how every choice we make today affects tomorrow.
Training Instructors that inspire confidence
Industry experts came together in a panel chaired by Logistics Recruitment and Training consultant Mick Skerrett, including John Boocock from Fleetmaster Group, Jim French MBE from Road to Logistics, Matt Hopkinson from Transport Training Academy Ltd, and RTITB Managing Director, Laura Nelson. Together, they explored how to identify great Instructors and how to coach them to deliver training, that inspires safer behaviour. They’re the ones who spark belief in others, who turn nervous learners into confident professionals, and who make safety second nature. This impact goes far beyond the classroom, influencing decisions made every day on the job that help avoid risks.
One particularly impactful takeaway was “Hiring for attitude. Teaching for skill.” Being a great driver is not a guarantee of being a great Instructor. So, investing in Instructors with the right attributes to lead others is key for building confident, competent teams.
Risk management – the human behind the hazard
Professor Tim Marsh – Chartered Psychologist, Chartered Fellow of IOSH, and co-founder of Anker & Marsh – gave a fresh perspective on risk management, with a reminder that behind every checklist or safety measure is a real person. A person that could be under pressure and facing fatigue, and who has a mindset influenced by their environment. He explained how effective risk management has to start with a better understanding of the factors that impact trainees, operators, and Instructors.
The key message was clear and resonant: real safety happens when people feel seen, heard, and supported. It’s not about avoiding incidents, but creating a culture where people feel safe to speak up, to slow down, and to make choices that protect themselves and others.
DVSA updates to drive road safety
In a session packed with helpful insight and information, members of the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) team shared updates that helped make the connection between policy and people.
The session included giving practical guidance on vocational testing, Module 3a/3b trends, and what’s coming next. Helping make sure that every transport operator is compliant, every driver is prepared, and every journey is safer. The Enforcement Policy team then unpacked the essentials that companies and training providers need to know about roadworthiness, brake testing, and the Maintenance Provision Rating Scheme. And how this helps to raise standards and protect lives on the road, because behind every regulation is a reason.
Safety is a choice
Helen Simm from law firm Browne Jacobson closed the day with an unforgettable session, reminding everyone that real safety leadership is proactive, not reactive. As she summarised: safety isn’t about rules. It’s about learning, listening, and choosing to do better, every day.
She provided a highly insightful overview into materials handling incident investigations and how this can help influence changes that save lives in future. She provided a plain English guide to the potential legal (and financial) consequences of an incident. And, if the worst should happen, how companies can demonstrate they have minimised the risk of harm.
RTITB Training Awards 2025 – celebrating excellence
The event was rounded off in the evening with the RTITB Training Awards. These awards celebrate the people powering excellence across warehouse and transport training. The Instructors who lead with passion. The training teams who go the extra mile. The training providers who keep raising the bar. These are all everyday heroes of our industry who keep operations running and keep lives protected.
Congratulations to the winners, who were chosen by a panel of expert judges:
- Outstanding Commercial Instructor of the Year
Alistair King from FTW Training
- Outstanding In-House Instructor of the Year
Delroy Mullings from Perkins Engines
- Outstanding Training Provider of the Year
The team at Altta Group Limited
- Outstanding Training Team of the Year
The team at Cummins Inc
RTITB Middle East Accredited Partners and stakeholders
RTITB’s mission to keep people safe spans the globe. So, a delegation of the RTITB Middle East team and key partners from the region also attended the Safety Summit and Training Awards. A token of appreciation was presented to them, recognising their outstanding efforts in making training more impactful, and their support in the Middle East region.
Support for RTITB’s charity partner: Road to Logistics
We were proud to once again support Road to Logistics (RtL) as our charity partner for the event. RtL helps people start careers in logistics, offering free training and routes to employment, supporting greater inclusion and diversity across our industry. It helps to proactively tackle skills shortages and break down barriers. Across various fundraising efforts at the Safety Summit, RtL raised £1400 to help aid its fantastic work – more than last year. Thanks to the generosity of everyone who donated.
RTITB Safety Sumit 2026 – information coming soon!
At the Safety Summit, we explored what it truly means to build a culture of safety, lead with purpose, learn from experience, and inspire the next generation. And it doesn’t stop there. The Safety Summit and Training Awards will be back in October 2026 to continue building a community of like-minded training and safety leaders, ready to drive change.
Register your interest in the RTITB Safety Summit and Training Awards 2026 to be among the first to receive all the details.
Author: Laura Nelson, Managing Director, RTITB
Laura Nelson, has worked with RTITB, the leading workplace transport training accreditation body, for more than 20 years. She has been Managing Director for 8 years.
Laura champions the development of innovative training programs, training quality standards, and software. She aims to empower the transport, warehousing, and logistics industries to achieve safety excellence.
Her approach to leadership reflects her belief in the importance of the RTITB mission to save lives.
Laura is a qualified Transport Manager and ISO9001 Lead Auditor. She has also completed Cranfield University’s Business Growth Program.