Particular OSHA requirements have to be met in order to utilize any type of forklift. A lot of the businesses using forklifts will offer basic training to the other office and sales staff in addition to visitors and other non operators who might venture into the distribution areas. Though OSHA doesn't particularly deal with lift truck pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers have to take measures in order to protect employees from some dangers, like for instance pedestrians exposed to moving lift trucks.
A big problem that will need to be addressed is pedestrian safety. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; around 20% of all forklift accidents consist of a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic means roughly 19,000 people 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 people are around industrial trucks in their work day. Among the major factors is that lift truck pedestrian accidents normally occur in cases where the pedestrian is not aware of safety measures. Problems also happen more often 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 some common situations to look out for. Amongst the most common issues is when pedestrians did not see the forklift. Many operations have different degrees of blind corners or intersections which pedestrians have to know. Sometimes pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be careful of the different types of power sources. For instance, electric trucks may be a lot quieter compared to internal combustion engines which are really loud.
The other main problems are when pedestrians come in too close proximity of the equipment. Common sense tells us that in order for a pedestrian to be injured by a forklift, the pedestrian has to be in close enough 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 everyone. This helps to deal with risks like for instance the model driving accidentally over a pedestrian's foot.
Following and implementing strict safety protocol helps to make certain that the workplace safety stays top notch and remains paramount.