In order to utilize any kind of forklift, specific OSHA requirements have to be met. Some companies offer basic awareness training to other people like visitors and office employees or sales people and other non-operators who might venture into the warehouse or yard. Though OSHA doesn't particularly deal with forklift pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers must take measures in order to protect employees from certain risks, like for example pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
A huge issue which will have to be addressed is pedestrian safety. According to the NIOSH or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; around 20% of all forklift accidents include a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic means about 19,000 individuals on an annual basis.
Nonetheless frequently or briefly people are around industrial trucks during their work day, there are several basic steps that must be taken so as to keep everybody safe. One of the major factors is that forklift pedestrian accidents usually occur in situations where the pedestrian is ignorant of safety precautions. Issues also occur more frequently when the pedestrian ends up complacent because she or he has become used to frequent interaction with lift trucks.
In order to avoid putting yourself at potential risk of being struck by a lift truck, there are some common situations to look out for. Among the most common issues is when pedestrians did not see the forklift. Numerous operations have various degrees of blind corners or intersections which pedestrians should know. At times pedestrians do not hear the forklift. Be careful of the various types of power sources. For instance, electric trucks could be a lot quieter than internal combustion engines that are really loud.
The other main problems are when pedestrians come in too close proximity of 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 forklift that is working, a four foot safety zone is recommended so as to make a safe perimeter for everyone. This really helps to address risks like for instance the unit accidentally driving over the foot of a pedestrian.
Following and implementing strict safety protocol helps to make sure that the workplace safety stays top notch and remains paramount.