To be able to use any kind of forklift, specific OSHA requirements have to be met. Several businesses offer basic awareness training to other individuals like visitors and office staff or sales people and other non-operators who may venture into the warehouse or yard. Though OSHA doesn't particularly address forklift pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers should take measures so as to protect employees from some dangers, like pedestrians exposed to moving lift trucks.
Pedestrian safety is a huge concern 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 mishaps comprise a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic translates to around 19,000 people on a yearly basis.
Then again frequently or briefly individuals are around industrial trucks during their work day, there are some basic steps that should be taken so as to keep everybody safe. Amongst the major factors is that forklift pedestrian accidents often occur in cases where the pedestrian is ignorant of safety precautions. Problems also occur more often when the pedestrian ends up complacent since he or she has become used to frequent interaction with lift trucks.
In order to avoid putting yourself at possible risk of being struck by a lift truck, there are several common situations to look out for. Amongst the most common problems is when pedestrians did not see the forklift. Many operations have varying degrees of intersections or blind corners which pedestrians should know. Sometimes pedestrians do not hear the forklift. Be careful of the different types of power sources. For instance, electric trucks could be a lot quieter than internal combustion engines which are super loud.
Coming in too near the machine is another common issue for pedestrians. In order for a pedestrian to be injured by a forklift, common sense tells us that the pedestrian needs to be near to be struck. For a lift truck that is working, a four foot safety zone is recommended in order to make a safe perimeter for everybody. This helps to address risks such as the unit driving accidentally over a pedestrian's foot.
Following and implementing strict safety protocol helps to make sure that the workplace safety stays top notch and remains paramount.