In order to operate any type of forklift, certain OSHA requirements have to be met. Several businesses offer basic awareness training to other people like visitors and office employees or sales people and other non-operators who may venture into the yard or warehouse. Though OSHA doesn't specifically deal with lift truck pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers should take measures in order to protect employees from some dangers, like for example pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
Pedestrian safety is a huge concern which has to be addressed and not disregarded. Based on the NIOSH or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; approximately 20% of all forklift mishaps consist of a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic translates to roughly 19,000 individuals on a yearly basis.
So as to keep everyone safe, there are some basic steps which should be taken into consideration. This is regardless to how frequently or briefly individuals are around industrial trucks during their work day. Among the main considerations is that forklift pedestrian accidents usually occur in cases 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.
So as to avoid putting yourself at possible risk of being struck by a lift truck, there are some common situations to look out for. Among the most common problems is when pedestrians did not see the forklift. Many operations have various degrees of blind corners or intersections which pedestrians need to know. At times pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be careful of the different kinds of power sources. For example, electric trucks can be a lot quieter than internal combustion engines that are really loud.
The other major issues are when pedestrians come in too near the machine. Common sense tells us that in order for a pedestrian to be injured by a forklift, the pedestrian has to be near to be struck. For a forklift which is working, a four foot safety zone is recommended in order to make a safe perimeter for everyone. This helps to deal with risks such as the unit accidentally driving over a pedestrian's foot.
To make sure that the workplace safety stays top notch and remains paramount, the implementation and following of strict safety protocol is vital.