Particular OSHA requirements need to be met in order to operate any type of forklift. A lot of the businesses utilizing forklifts will provide basic training to the other sales and office employees along with visitors and other non operators who may venture into the distribution areas. Even if 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 some dangers, like for instance pedestrians exposed to moving lift trucks.
A big concern that will have to be addressed is pedestrian safety. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; roughly 20% of all forklift accidents include a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic means roughly 19,000 individuals on a yearly basis.
In order to keep everybody safe, there are some basic steps that should be taken into consideration. This is regardless to how briefly or frequently individuals are around industrial trucks in their work day. Among the major factors is that forklift pedestrian mishaps usually occur in situations where the pedestrian is ignorant of safety precautions. Problems also happen more frequently when the pedestrian has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts and ends up complacent.
There are several common situations to look out for so as to avoid placing yourself at possible risk from being struck by a forklift. Pedestrians not seeing the lift truck is a common problem which has to be addressed. Many operations have various degrees of blind corners or intersections that pedestrians must know. Sometimes pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be careful of the different types of power sources. For instance, electric trucks may be a lot quieter than internal combustion engines which are really loud.
Coming in too near the equipment is another common issue 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 suggested so as to make a safe perimeter for everyone. This helps to address risks such as the model 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.