Specific OSHA requirements have to be met in order to use any kind of lift truck. A lot of the businesses utilizing lift trucks will offer basic training to the other office and sales employees in combination with visitors and other non operators who might venture into the distribution areas. Though OSHA doesn't specifically deal with lift truck pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers must take measures in order to protect employees from some risks, such as pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
Pedestrian safety is a huge problem that needs to be dealt with and not overlooked. Based on the NIOSH or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; roughly 20 percent of all forklift accidents comprise a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic means around 19,000 people each and every year.
So as to keep everyone safe, there are some basic steps which must be taken into consideration. This is regardless to how frequently or briefly people are around industrial trucks during their work day. Amongst the main considerations is that lift truck pedestrian mishaps normally happen in situations where the pedestrian is not aware of safety precautions. Issues also occur more often when the pedestrian ends up complacent since he or she has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts.
There are several 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 issue which has to be addressed. Numerous operations have varying degrees of intersections or blind corners that pedestrians should be aware of. Sometimes pedestrians do not hear the forklift. Be careful of the various types of power sources. For example, electric trucks can be much quieter than internal combustion engines which are really loud.
Coming in too near the machine 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 near to be struck. For a forklift which is running, a four foot safety zone is recommended in order to make a safe perimeter for everyone. This really helps to address risks like for example the unit accidentally driving over the foot of a pedestrian.
Following and implementing strict safety protocol helps to make certain that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch.