Specific OSHA requirements have to be met in order to utilize any type of lift truck. A lot of the companies utilizing forklifts will offer basic training to the other office and sales staff along with visitors and other non operators who may venture into the distribution areas. Though OSHA doesn't particularly address forklift pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers need to take measures in order to protect employees from certain risks, like pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
A huge issue that would need to be addressed is pedestrian safety. Based on the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; roughly 20 percent of all forklift accidents comprise a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic translates to approximately 19,000 people on an annual basis.
So as to keep everyone safe, there are some basic steps that must be taken into account. This is regardless to how frequently or briefly people are around industrial trucks in their work day. Among the major considerations is that forklift pedestrian accidents usually occur in situations where the pedestrian is not aware of safety measures. Problems also happen more often when the pedestrian has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts and ends up complacent.
So as to avoid putting yourself at possible risk of being struck by a lift truck, there are several common situations to look out for. Amongst the most common issues is when pedestrians did not see the forklift. Numerous operations have different degrees of blind corners or intersections that pedestrians have to know. At times pedestrians do not hear the forklift. Be careful of the various kinds of power sources. For example, electric trucks can be a lot quieter than internal combustion engines that are really loud.
Coming in too near the equipment 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 has to be in close proximity 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 really helps to deal with risks such as the model accidentally driving over the foot of a pedestrian.
Implementing and following strict safety protocol helps to make sure that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch.