Particular OSHA requirements need to be met so as to operate any kind of lift truck. Many of the companies using lift trucks would offer basic training to the other sales and office employees in addition to visitors and other non operators who may venture into the distribution areas. Even though OSHA doesn't particularly deal with lift truck pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers should take measures in order to protect employees from certain risks, like for instance pedestrians exposed to moving lift trucks.
A big problem that will need to be dealt with is pedestrian safety. Based on the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; approximately 20 percent of all forklift mishaps comprise a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic translates to roughly 19,000 individuals on a yearly basis.
In order to keep everybody safe, there are several basic steps which must be taken into consideration. This is regardless to how briefly or frequently people are around industrial trucks during their work day. One of the major considerations is that forklift pedestrian accidents usually occur in cases where the pedestrian is not aware of safety measures. Issues also occur more frequently when the pedestrian ends up complacent since she or he has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts.
So as to avoid putting yourself at potential risk of being struck by a forklift, there are some common situations to look out for. One of the most common issues is when pedestrians did not see the forklift. Many operations have different degrees of intersections or blind corners which pedestrians must be aware of. Sometimes 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 that 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 near to be struck. For a forklift which is running, a four foot safety zone is suggested in order to make a safe perimeter for everybody. This really helps to address risks such as the unit accidentally driving over a pedestrian's foot.
Following and implementing strict safety protocol helps to make certain that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch.