In order to use any kind of lift truck, certain OSHA requirements have to be met. Several companies provide basic awareness training to other individuals such as 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 forklift pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers should take measures in order to protect employees from certain dangers, like for example pedestrians exposed to moving lift trucks.
A huge problem that will need to be dealt with is pedestrian safety. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; roughly 20% of all forklift mishaps include a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic translates to around 19,000 people every year.
So as to keep everybody safe, there are several basic steps which should be taken into consideration. This is regardless to how briefly or frequently individuals are around industrial trucks in their work day. One of the main factors is that lift truck pedestrian mishaps usually occur in cases where the pedestrian is not aware of safety measures. Problems also happen more frequently when the pedestrian has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts and ends up complacent.
There are some common situations to look out for so as to avoid placing yourself at potential risk from being struck by a forklift. Pedestrians not seeing the forklift is a common issue which has to be dealt with. Numerous operations have different degrees of intersections or blind corners which pedestrians must be aware of. At times pedestrians do not hear the forklift. Be very careful of the different types of power sources. Like for instance, electric trucks could be a lot quieter compared to IC engines which are super loud.
Coming in too near the machinery is another common problem for pedestrians. In order for a pedestrian to be injured by a forklift, common sense tells us that the pedestrian has to be near to be struck. For a forklift that is running, a four foot safety zone is recommended in order to make a safe perimeter for everybody. This helps to deal with risks like for example the unit driving accidentally over the foot of a pedestrian.
Implementing and following strict safety protocol helps to make certain that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch.