In order to operate any kind of lift truck, certain OSHA requirements have to be met. Some companies offer basic awareness training to other people like visitors and office staff or sales people and other non-operators who may venture into the yard or warehouse. Though OSHA doesn't particularly address forklift pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers need to take measures in order to protect employees from some risks, like for example pedestrians exposed to moving lift trucks.
A huge issue which would have to be dealt with is pedestrian safety. According to the NIOSH or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; about 20 percent of all forklift mishaps consist of a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic means around 19,000 individuals on a yearly basis.
In order to keep everyone safe, there are some basic steps which must be taken into account. This is regardless to how briefly or frequently individuals are around industrial trucks in their work day. Amongst the main considerations is that lift truck pedestrian mishaps usually happen in situations where the pedestrian is not aware of safety measures. Issues also occur more often when the pedestrian ends up complacent because he or she has become used to frequent interaction with lift trucks.
There are several common situations to look out for so as to avoid placing yourself at possible risk from being struck by a lift truck. Pedestrians not seeing the forklift is a common issue which has to be dealt with. Many operations have varying degrees of blind corners or intersections that pedestrians must know. At times pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be careful of the different types of power sources. Like for example, electric trucks could be a lot quieter than internal combustion engines that are super loud.
Coming in too near the equipment 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 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 deal with risks like for instance the model driving accidentally over a pedestrian's foot.
To make certain that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch, the implementation and following of strict safety protocol is important.