In order to use any type of lift truck, certain OSHA requirements have to be met. Some businesses offer basic awareness training to other people such as visitors and office employees or sales people and other non-operators who may venture into the yard or warehouse. Though OSHA doesn't specifically address lift truck pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers need to take measures so as to protect employees from some risks, like for instance pedestrians exposed to moving lift trucks.
Pedestrian safety is a huge concern which has to be dealt with and not ignored. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; roughly 20% of all forklift mishaps consist of a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic translates to roughly 19,000 people each and every year.
However briefly or frequently people are around industrial trucks during their work day, there are several basic steps which must be taken in order to keep everybody safe. Amongst the major factors is that lift truck pedestrian mishaps often happen in situations where the pedestrian is ignorant of safety measures. Problems also happen more frequently when the pedestrian ends up complacent because he or she has become used to frequent interaction with lift trucks.
In order to avoid putting yourself at potential risk of being struck by a forklift, there are some common situations to look out for. Among the most common issues is when pedestrians did not see the lift truck. Lots of operations have various degrees of blind corners or intersections which pedestrians must be aware of. At times pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be really careful of the different types of power sources. For example, electric trucks can be a lot quieter as opposed to internal combustion engines that are really loud.
The other main issues are when pedestrians come in too near the machine. Common sense tells us that in order for a pedestrian to be injured by a forklift, the pedestrian has to be near to be struck. For a lift truck which is running, a four foot safety zone is suggested so as to make a safe perimeter for everybody. This really helps to deal with risks like for instance the model driving accidentally 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.