In order to use any kind of forklift, specific OSHA requirements need to be met. Several companies offer basic awareness training to other individuals 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 address lift truck pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers should take measures in order to protect employees from some risks, like for example pedestrians exposed to moving lift trucks.
Pedestrian safety is a big problem that needs to be addressed and not overlooked. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; about 20% of all forklift accidents comprise a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic translates to around 19,000 individuals on a yearly basis.
So as to keep everyone safe, there are some basic steps that should be taken into account. This is regardless to how briefly or frequently individuals are around industrial trucks in their work day. One of the main factors is that forklift pedestrian mishaps often happen in situations where the pedestrian is not aware of safety measures. Problems also occur more often when the pedestrian ends up complacent because he or she has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts.
So as to avoid putting yourself at potential risk of being struck by a forklift, there are some common situations to look out for. One of the most common issues is when pedestrians did not see the forklift. A lot operations have different degrees of blind corners or intersections that pedestrians should know. At times pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be careful of the different types of power sources. Like for instance, electric trucks can be much quieter as opposed to IC engines which are super loud.
The other major issues are when pedestrians come in too close proximity of the machine. Common sense tells us that in order for a pedestrian to be injured by a forklift, the pedestrian needs to be near to be struck. For a forklift that is working, a four foot safety zone is suggested in order to make a safe perimeter for everyone. This helps to deal with risks like the unit accidentally driving over the foot of a pedestrian.
To make certain that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch, the implementation and following of strict safety protocol is vital.