Specific OSHA requirements have to be met in order to utilize any type of lift truck. Many of the businesses utilizing forklifts will provide basic training to the other office and sales employees along with visitors and other non operators who may venture into the distribution areas. Even if OSHA doesn't specifically address lift truck pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers must take measures so as to protect employees from certain dangers, like for example pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
Pedestrian safety is a huge concern which needs to be addressed and not overlooked. Based on the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; around 20 percent of all forklift mishaps include a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic means around 19,000 individuals on a yearly basis.
However briefly or frequently people are around industrial trucks during their work day, there are some basic steps which should be taken in order to keep everybody safe. Amongst the main factors is that forklift pedestrian accidents normally occur in situations where the pedestrian is ignorant of safety precautions. Issues also happen more often when the pedestrian ends up complacent since he or she has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts.
There are some common situations to look out for in order to avoid placing yourself at potential risk from being struck by a forklift. Pedestrians not seeing the lift truck is a common issue which needs to be addressed. Numerous operations have varying degrees of intersections or blind corners which pedestrians should know. At times pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be careful of the various kinds of power sources. Like for instance, electric trucks may be much quieter as opposed to IC engines that are super loud.
Coming in too close proximity of the machinery is another common concern 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 lift truck which is running, a four foot safety zone is suggested in order to make a safe perimeter for everybody. This helps to address risks such as the model driving accidentally over a pedestrian's foot.
To make sure that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch, following and the implementation of strict safety protocol is key.