In order to operate any type of forklift, certain OSHA requirements have to be met. Several companies offer basic awareness training to other individuals like visitors and office staff or sales people and other non-operators who may venture into the warehouse or yard. Though OSHA doesn't particularly address lift truck pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers must take measures so as to protect employees from some dangers, like pedestrians exposed to moving lift trucks.
Pedestrian safety is a huge issue which needs to be dealt with and not overlooked. Based on the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; approximately 20% of all forklift accidents include a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic translates to approximately 19,000 people every year.
So as to keep everyone safe, there are several basic steps which must be taken into account. This is regardless to how frequently or briefly individuals are around industrial trucks in their work day. Amongst the major considerations is that lift truck pedestrian accidents normally occur in situations where the pedestrian is not aware of safety precautions. Issues also occur more often when the pedestrian has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts and ends up complacent.
In order to avoid putting yourself at potential risk of being struck by a lift truck, there are several common situations to look out for. Among the most common problems is when pedestrians did not see the lift truck. Numerous operations have various degrees of intersections or blind corners that pedestrians have to be aware of. At times pedestrians do not hear the forklift. Be careful of the different kinds of power sources. Like for instance, electric trucks may be much quieter as opposed to IC engines that are super loud.
Coming in too near the equipment is another common problem for pedestrians. In order for a pedestrian to be injured by a forklift, common sense tells us that the pedestrian needs to be in close proximity to be struck. For a forklift that is working, a four foot safety zone is suggested in order to make a safe perimeter for everybody. This helps to address risks like for example the unit accidentally driving over a pedestrian's foot.
Following and implementing strict safety protocol helps to make sure that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch.