Specific OSHA requirements have to be met in order to utilize any kind of forklift. Many of the businesses utilizing forklifts would provide basic training to the other sales and office staff in combination with visitors and other non operators who may 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 dangers, like for example pedestrians exposed to moving lift trucks.
Pedestrian safety is a huge concern which has to be addressed and not disregarded. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; about 20 percent of all forklift mishaps consist of a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic means around 19,000 individuals each and every year.
In order to keep everyone safe, there are some basic steps that should be taken into account. This is regardless to how briefly or frequently people are around industrial trucks during their work day. Among the main considerations is that forklift pedestrian mishaps often occur in situations where the pedestrian is ignorant of safety precautions. Issues also happen more often when the pedestrian ends up complacent because he or she has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts.
There are some common situations to look out for in order to prevent placing yourself at potential risk from being struck by a lift truck. Pedestrians not seeing the lift truck is a common issue that has to be dealt with. A lot operations have various degrees of blind corners or intersections that pedestrians have to be aware of. Sometimes pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be very careful of the different types of power sources. Like for example, electric trucks could be a lot quieter as opposed to IC engines that are really loud.
Coming in too close proximity of the equipment is another common problem 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 forklift that is working, a four foot safety zone is suggested so as to make a safe perimeter for everybody. This really helps to address risks like for example the model accidentally driving over a pedestrian's foot.
Implementing and following strict safety protocol helps to make certain that the workplace safety stays top notch and remains paramount.