Specific OSHA requirements need to be met in order to operate any kind of lift truck. A lot of the companies using lift trucks would offer basic training to the other sales and office employees in combination with visitors and other non operators who might venture into the distribution areas. Even 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 dangers, like for instance pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
Pedestrian safety is a huge issue that needs to be dealt with and not ignored. Based on the NIOSH or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; roughly 20 percent of all forklift accidents include a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic translates to about 19,000 individuals every year.
So as to keep everyone safe, there are some basic steps that must be taken into consideration. This is regardless to how frequently or briefly individuals are around industrial trucks during their work day. One of the main considerations is that lift truck pedestrian accidents often occur in situations where the pedestrian is ignorant of safety measures. Problems also happen more often when the pedestrian ends up complacent because he or she has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts.
In order to avoid putting yourself at potential risk of being struck by a lift truck, there are some common situations to look out for. One of the most common problems is when pedestrians did not see the forklift. Numerous operations have varying degrees of blind corners or intersections which pedestrians have to know. At times pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be really careful of the various kinds of power sources. Like for instance, electric trucks can be much quieter compared to IC engines that are super 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 that is running, a four foot safety zone is recommended in order to make a safe perimeter for everybody. This helps to address risks like the model accidentally driving 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 important.