Particular OSHA requirements need to be met in order to operate any kind of lift truck. A lot of the companies using lift trucks 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 particularly deal with forklift pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers have to take measures so as to protect employees from some dangers, like for example pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
Pedestrian safety is a big concern which has to be addressed and not overlooked. According to the NIOSH or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; around 20 percent of all forklift accidents comprise a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic means about 19,000 individuals each year.
Nonetheless briefly or frequently people are around industrial trucks in their work day, there are some basic steps that should be taken in order to keep everybody safe. Amongst the main factors is that forklift pedestrian mishaps normally happen in cases where the pedestrian is not aware of safety measures. Issues also occur more often when the pedestrian ends up complacent since she or he has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts.
In order to avoid putting yourself at potential risk of being struck by a forklift, there are several common situations to look out for. One of the most common issues is when pedestrians did not see the lift truck. Numerous operations have varying degrees of intersections or blind corners which pedestrians must be aware of. Sometimes pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be careful of the different types of power sources. Like for instance, electric trucks can be a lot quieter as opposed to IC engines that are super loud.
Coming in too near the machinery 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 has to be in close proximity to be struck. For a forklift that is working, a four foot safety zone is recommended so as to make a safe perimeter for everybody. This helps to deal with risks such as the unit driving accidentally over the foot of a pedestrian.
Implementing and following strict safety protocol helps to make certain that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch.