Particular OSHA requirements need to be met in order to use any kind of forklift. A lot of the companies utilizing forklifts will offer basic training to the other sales and office employees along with visitors and other non operators who may venture into the distribution areas. Even if OSHA doesn't particularly deal with forklift pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers need to take measures so as to protect employees from certain risks, such as pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
Pedestrian safety is a big concern which needs to be dealt with and not overlooked. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; approximately 20% of all forklift accidents consist of a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic means around 19,000 individuals every year.
In order to keep everyone safe, there are several basic steps that must be taken into consideration. This is regardless to how briefly or frequently individuals are around industrial trucks during their work day. One of the main considerations is that forklift pedestrian accidents usually happen in cases where the pedestrian is ignorant of safety measures. Problems also occur more frequently when the pedestrian has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts and ends up complacent.
There are some common situations to look out for in order to avoid placing yourself at potential risk from being struck by a lift truck. Pedestrians not seeing the forklift is a common issue that needs to be addressed. A lot operations have various degrees of blind corners or intersections which pedestrians should be aware of. Sometimes pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be really careful of the various types of power sources. Like for example, electric trucks could be a lot quieter than internal combustion engines that are really loud.
Coming in too near the machinery is another common problem 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 forklift 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 such as the model accidentally driving over a pedestrian's foot.
Implementing and following strict safety protocol helps to make sure that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch.