To be able to utilize any kind of lift truck, certain OSHA requirements need to be met. Some businesses provide basic awareness training to other individuals such as visitors and office staff or sales people and other non-operators who might venture into the yard or warehouse. Though OSHA doesn't particularly address lift truck pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers must take measures so as to protect employees from some risks, like pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
A big concern which will have to be dealt with is pedestrian safety. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; around 20% of all forklift accidents comprise a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic translates to around 19,000 people on a yearly basis.
Nevertheless frequently or briefly people are around industrial trucks during their work day, there are several basic steps which should be taken in order to keep everybody safe. Amongst the main considerations is that forklift pedestrian accidents often occur in situations where the pedestrian is not aware of safety precautions. Issues also occur more often when the pedestrian ends up complacent because she or he has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts.
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 lift truck is a common problem which needs to be dealt with. Numerous operations have various degrees of blind corners or intersections that pedestrians must know. Sometimes pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be careful of the different kinds of power sources. For example, electric trucks can be much quieter than IC engines that are super loud.
Coming in too near the machinery is another common issue 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 running, a four foot safety zone is suggested in order to make a safe perimeter for everybody. This helps to address risks like the unit accidentally driving 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.