Particular OSHA requirements need to be met so as to operate any kind of forklift. A lot of the businesses using forklifts would provide basic training to the other sales and office employees along with visitors and other non operators who might 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 certain dangers, like pedestrians exposed to moving lift trucks.
Pedestrian safety is a huge issue which needs to be dealt with and not disregarded. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; roughly 20% of all forklift mishaps consist of a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic translates to around 19,000 people on an annual basis.
Nevertheless briefly or frequently individuals are around industrial trucks during their work day, there are several basic steps that must be taken in order to keep everybody safe. Amongst the major considerations is that lift truck pedestrian mishaps normally happen in cases where the pedestrian is ignorant of safety measures. Issues also happen more often when the pedestrian has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts and ends up complacent.
There are some common situations to look out for in order to prevent placing yourself at possible risk from being struck by a forklift. Pedestrians not seeing the forklift is a common issue that needs to be dealt with. Lots of operations have different degrees of intersections or blind corners that pedestrians must know. Sometimes pedestrians do not hear the forklift. Be really careful of the various kinds of power sources. Like for instance, electric trucks could be much quieter as opposed to IC engines which are super loud.
The other main issues are when pedestrians come in too near the machine. Common sense tells us that in order for a pedestrian to be injured by a forklift, the pedestrian needs to be near to be struck. For a lift truck which is running, a four foot safety zone is suggested so as to make a safe perimeter for everyone. This helps to address risks like the unit driving accidentally over a pedestrian's foot.
Implementing and following strict safety protocol helps to make sure that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch.