Particular OSHA requirements have to be met so as to operate any kind of lift truck. A lot of the businesses using forklifts will provide basic training to the other sales and office employees in combination with visitors and other non operators who may venture into the distribution areas. Though OSHA doesn't specifically 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, like pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
Pedestrian safety is a big concern that has to be dealt with and not ignored. According to the NIOSH or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; roughly 20 percent of all forklift accidents consist of a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic means about 19,000 individuals each year.
So as to keep everyone safe, there are some basic steps which must be taken into account. This is regardless to how frequently or briefly people are around industrial trucks during their work day. One of the major considerations is that lift truck pedestrian accidents often happen in cases where the pedestrian is not aware of safety precautions. Problems also happen more often 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 in order to avoid placing yourself at potential risk from being struck by a lift truck. Pedestrians not seeing the forklift is a common problem that has to be addressed. Numerous operations have different degrees of intersections or blind corners which pedestrians must know. Sometimes pedestrians do not hear the forklift. Be careful of the various kinds of power sources. For example, electric trucks may be much quieter than IC engines which are really loud.
The other main problems are when pedestrians come in too close proximity of the machinery. Common sense tells us that in order for a pedestrian to be injured by a forklift, the pedestrian needs to be near to be struck. For a forklift that is working, a four foot safety zone is suggested in order to make a safe perimeter for everybody. This helps to deal with risks like for example the unit driving accidentally over the foot of a pedestrian.
To make certain that the workplace safety stays top notch and remains paramount, the implementation and following of strict safety protocol is important.