Particular OSHA requirements have to be met so as to utilize any type of lift truck. Many of the companies utilizing lift trucks will provide basic training to the other office and sales staff in combination with visitors and other non operators who may venture into the distribution areas. Though OSHA doesn't particularly address forklift pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers have to take measures in order to protect employees from certain dangers, like for instance pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
A huge concern that will need to be dealt with is pedestrian safety. 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 translates to approximately 19,000 individuals each year.
Nevertheless briefly or frequently people are around industrial trucks in their work day, there are several basic steps which should be taken in order to keep everyone safe. Amongst the main factors is that lift truck pedestrian mishaps often happen in situations where the pedestrian is not aware of safety precautions. Issues also happen more frequently 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 possible risk from being struck by a forklift. Pedestrians not seeing the forklift is a common problem that has to be dealt with. Numerous operations have various degrees of blind corners or intersections which pedestrians need to know. At times pedestrians do not hear the forklift. Be really careful of the different types of power sources. For instance, electric trucks can be a lot quieter than internal combustion engines which are really loud.
Coming in too near the machine is another common concern 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 which is working, a four foot safety zone is suggested in order to make a safe perimeter for everyone. This helps to address risks like the model driving accidentally over the foot of a pedestrian.
To make sure that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch, following and the implementation of strict safety protocol is vital.