In order to operate any type of lift truck, specific OSHA requirements have to be met. Some companies provide basic awareness training to other individuals like visitors and office staff or sales people and other non-operators who might venture into the yard or warehouse. Though OSHA doesn't specifically deal with lift truck pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers should take measures in order to protect employees from some risks, like for example pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
A big concern which would have to be dealt with is pedestrian safety. Based on the NIOSH or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; around 20% of all forklift accidents include a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic means around 19,000 individuals on a yearly basis.
Nevertheless frequently or briefly people are around industrial trucks in their work day, there are some basic steps that must be taken in order to keep everybody safe. One of the main considerations is that lift truck pedestrian mishaps often occur in cases where the pedestrian is not aware 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 several common situations to look out for in order to avoid 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 addressed. Many operations have varying degrees of intersections or blind corners that pedestrians need to be aware of. Sometimes pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be careful of the different types of power sources. Like for example, electric trucks may be much quieter than IC engines which are super loud.
Coming in too near the machine 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 near to be struck. For a lift truck which is running, a four foot safety zone is recommended in order to make a safe perimeter for everyone. This helps to deal with risks such as the unit driving accidentally over the foot of a pedestrian.
Following and implementing strict safety protocol helps to make sure that the workplace safety stays top notch and remains paramount.