In order to utilize any kind of lift truck, specific OSHA requirements have to be met. Some businesses offer basic awareness training to other people such as visitors and office employees or sales people and other non-operators who might venture into the warehouse or yard. Even though OSHA doesn't particularly address forklift pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers must take measures in order to protect employees from some risks, such as pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
A huge issue that would have to be addressed is pedestrian safety. Based on the NIOSH or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; about 20 percent of all forklift accidents comprise a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic translates to approximately 19,000 individuals on a yearly basis.
In order to keep everyone safe, there are some basic steps which should be taken into consideration. This is regardless to how frequently or briefly people are around industrial trucks in their work day. One of the main considerations is that lift truck pedestrian accidents often occur in cases where the pedestrian is not aware of safety measures. Issues also occur more frequently when the pedestrian ends up complacent because she or he has become used to frequent interaction with lift trucks.
There are some common situations to look out for so as to prevent 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. Lots of operations have varying degrees of blind corners or intersections that pedestrians should be aware of. Sometimes pedestrians do not hear the forklift. Be careful of the various types of power sources. For instance, electric trucks could be much quieter compared to IC engines which are super loud.
The other major problems are when pedestrians come in too close proximity of the machine. 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 that is running, a four foot safety zone is recommended so as to make a safe perimeter for everybody. This helps to deal with risks like for example the unit driving accidentally over a pedestrian's foot.
Implementing and following strict safety protocol helps to make certain that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch.