In order to use any type of lift truck, certain OSHA requirements have to be met. Several companies provide basic awareness training to other individuals like visitors and office staff or sales people and other non-operators who might venture into the warehouse or yard. Though OSHA doesn't specifically address lift truck pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers have to take measures so as to protect employees from some risks, like for example pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
Pedestrian safety is a big problem that has to be dealt with and not ignored. Based on the NIOSH or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; around 20% of all forklift accidents include a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic means about 19,000 individuals every year.
So as to keep everybody safe, there are some basic steps which should be taken into consideration. This is regardless to how briefly or frequently people are around industrial trucks during their work day. Among the main factors is that forklift pedestrian accidents normally happen in cases where the pedestrian is ignorant of safety measures. Issues 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 lift truck. Pedestrians not seeing the lift truck is a common issue which has to be addressed. Lots of operations have varying degrees of intersections or blind corners which pedestrians should be aware of. Sometimes pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be careful of the different kinds of power sources. Like for example, electric trucks can be a lot quieter as opposed to IC engines that are super loud.
The other major problems 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 lift truck which is working, a four foot safety zone is recommended so as to make a safe perimeter for everyone. This really helps to address risks like for instance the model driving accidentally over a pedestrian's foot.
Implementing and following strict safety protocol helps to make certain that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch.