To be able to utilize any type of lift truck, certain OSHA requirements need to be met. Some businesses offer basic awareness training to other individuals such as visitors and office staff or sales people and other non-operators who might 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 so as to protect employees from certain dangers, like pedestrians exposed to moving lift trucks.
A big issue which will have to be dealt with is pedestrian safety. Based on the NIOSH or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; around 20 percent of all forklift accidents comprise a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic translates to about 19,000 people every year.
Nonetheless briefly or frequently people are around industrial trucks during their work day, there are some basic steps that must be taken in order to keep everybody safe. Amongst the major factors is that forklift pedestrian mishaps usually happen in cases where the pedestrian is not aware 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 several common situations to look out for in order to avoid placing yourself at possible risk from being struck by a forklift. Pedestrians not seeing the forklift is a common problem which needs to be dealt with. Many operations have various degrees of blind corners or intersections which pedestrians must be aware of. At times pedestrians do not hear the forklift. Be really careful of the various types of power sources. For instance, electric trucks can be a lot quieter compared to internal combustion engines that are super loud.
The other main problems 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 needs to be near to be struck. For a forklift that is working, a four foot safety zone is recommended so as to make a safe perimeter for everybody. This really helps to address risks like for instance the model driving accidentally over the foot of a pedestrian.
Following and implementing strict safety protocol helps to make sure that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch.