To be able to use any type of forklift, specific OSHA requirements need to be met. Some companies provide basic awareness training to other individuals such as visitors and office staff or sales people and other non-operators who may venture into the warehouse or yard. Though OSHA doesn't particularly address forklift pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers should take measures so as to protect employees from some dangers, such as pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
A big issue which would need to be addressed is pedestrian safety. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; approximately 20 percent of all forklift mishaps consist of a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic means about 19,000 individuals every year.
So as to keep everybody safe, there are some basic steps which must be taken into consideration. This is regardless to how briefly or frequently people are around industrial trucks in their work day. One of the major factors is that lift truck pedestrian accidents often occur in cases where the pedestrian is ignorant of safety precautions. Problems also occur more often when the pedestrian ends up complacent since he or she 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 possible risk from being struck by a lift truck. Pedestrians not seeing the forklift is a common problem which needs to be dealt with. Numerous operations have varying degrees of intersections or blind corners which pedestrians have to know. Sometimes pedestrians do not hear the forklift. Be careful of the various types of power sources. Like for example, electric trucks can be a lot quieter compared to IC engines which are really loud.
Coming in too close proximity of the machinery is another common concern for pedestrians. In order for a pedestrian to be injured by a lift truck, common sense tells us that the pedestrian needs to be in close proximity to be struck. For a lift truck which is working, a four foot safety zone is recommended 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 sure that the workplace safety stays top notch and remains paramount, the implementation and following of strict safety protocol is vital.