Particular OSHA requirements have to be met in order to use any type of lift truck. A lot of the companies using forklifts would offer basic training to the other office and sales employees along with visitors and other non operators who may venture into the distribution areas. Though OSHA doesn't specifically address lift truck pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers must take measures in order to protect employees from certain dangers, such as pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
Pedestrian safety is a huge concern that has to be addressed and not overlooked. Based on the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; approximately 20 percent of all forklift mishaps include a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic translates to approximately 19,000 people on an annual basis.
Then again frequently or briefly people are around industrial trucks during their work day, there are some basic steps that should be taken so as to keep everyone safe. Amongst the main considerations is that lift truck pedestrian mishaps often occur in situations where the pedestrian is ignorant of safety measures. Problems also happen more frequently when the pedestrian has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts and ends up complacent.
In order to avoid putting yourself at potential risk of being struck by a forklift, there are several common situations to look out for. Amongst the most common issues is when pedestrians did not see the forklift. Numerous operations have varying degrees of intersections or blind corners which pedestrians must know. At times pedestrians do not hear the forklift. Be careful of the various types of power sources. Like for instance, electric trucks can be much quieter as opposed to internal combustion engines which are super loud.
The other main problems are when pedestrians come in too near the machine. Common sense tells us that in order for a pedestrian to be injured by a lift truck, 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 really helps to deal with risks like for instance the model accidentally driving over the foot of a pedestrian.
Following and implementing strict safety protocol helps to make certain that the workplace safety stays top notch and remains paramount.