To be able to utilize any type of forklift, certain OSHA requirements have to be met. Some companies provide basic awareness training to other individuals like visitors and office staff or sales people and other non-operators who may venture into the yard or warehouse. Even if OSHA doesn't specifically deal with forklift pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers need to take measures in order to protect employees from certain dangers, such as pedestrians exposed to moving lift trucks.
Pedestrian safety is a big issue that needs to be dealt with and not ignored. Based on the NIOSH or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; roughly 20 percent of all forklift mishaps include a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic translates to roughly 19,000 people every year.
So as to keep everyone safe, there are several basic steps that must be taken into account. This is regardless to how frequently or briefly people are around industrial trucks in their work day. Amongst the main factors is that lift truck pedestrian accidents usually happen in cases where the pedestrian is ignorant of safety precautions. Issues also occur more frequently when the pedestrian has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts and ends up complacent.
In order to avoid putting yourself at possible risk of being struck by a forklift, there are some common situations to look out for. One of the most common problems is when pedestrians did not see the lift truck. Many operations have various degrees of intersections or blind corners which pedestrians should know. At times pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be careful of the various types of power sources. Like for example, electric trucks can be much quieter as opposed to internal combustion engines that are really loud.
The other main problems are when pedestrians come in too near the equipment. Common sense tells us that in order for a pedestrian to be injured by a forklift, the pedestrian has to be near to be struck. For a lift truck which is working, a four foot safety zone is suggested so as to make a safe perimeter for everyone. This really helps to deal with risks such as the unit driving accidentally over a pedestrian's foot.
Implementing and following strict safety protocol helps to make sure that the workplace safety stays top notch and remains paramount.