In order to utilize any kind of forklift, specific OSHA requirements have to be met. Several companies offer basic awareness training to other people like visitors and office staff or sales people and other non-operators who might venture into the yard or warehouse. Even though OSHA doesn't particularly deal with forklift pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers should take measures in order to protect employees from some dangers, like for instance pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
A huge issue which would need to be dealt with is pedestrian safety. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; about 20 percent of all forklift accidents include a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic means approximately 19,000 people on an annual basis.
However 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 everyone safe. One of the main considerations is that forklift pedestrian mishaps usually occur in situations where the pedestrian is ignorant of safety precautions. Problems also happen more often when the pedestrian has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts and ends up complacent.
So as to avoid putting yourself at potential risk of being struck by a lift truck, there are several common situations to look out for. Among the most common problems is when pedestrians did not see the lift truck. Numerous operations have different degrees of intersections or blind corners which pedestrians should be aware of. At times pedestrians do not hear the forklift. Be careful of the different types of power sources. For example, electric trucks could be much quieter than internal combustion engines that are really loud.
Coming in too close proximity of the equipment is another common issue for pedestrians. In order for a pedestrian to be injured by a lift truck, common sense tells us that the pedestrian has to be in close proximity to be struck. For a forklift that is working, a four foot safety zone is recommended in order to make a safe perimeter for everyone. This really helps to address risks such as the unit accidentally driving over a pedestrian's foot.
To make sure that the workplace safety stays top notch and remains paramount, the implementation and following of strict safety protocol is key.