In order to use any type of lift truck, certain OSHA requirements have to be met. Some companies provide basic awareness training to other people like visitors and office employees or sales people and other non-operators who might venture into the yard or warehouse. Even though OSHA doesn't specifically address lift truck pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers need to take measures in order to protect employees from some risks, such as pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
Pedestrian safety is a big concern which needs to be addressed and not overlooked. According to the NIOSH or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; about 20 percent of all forklift accidents include a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic translates to roughly 19,000 people on a yearly basis.
In order to keep everyone safe, there are some 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. Among the main considerations is that lift truck pedestrian accidents usually occur in cases where the pedestrian is ignorant of safety precautions. Issues also occur more frequently when the pedestrian ends up complacent since she or he has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts.
In order to avoid putting yourself at potential risk of being struck by a lift truck, there are some common situations to look out for. Among the most common issues is when pedestrians did not see the forklift. Many operations have various degrees of intersections or blind corners which pedestrians should know. Sometimes pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be very careful of the different kinds of power sources. Like for instance, electric trucks could be much quieter as opposed to internal combustion engines that are super loud.
Coming in too close proximity of the equipment is another common problem for pedestrians. In order for a pedestrian to be injured by a lift truck, 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 so as to make a safe perimeter for everybody. This really helps to address risks such as the model driving accidentally over a pedestrian's foot.
Following and implementing strict safety protocol helps to make certain that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch.