Specific OSHA requirements have to be met so as to use any type of forklift. A lot of the businesses utilizing lift trucks would offer basic training to the other sales and office employees in addition to visitors and other non operators who might venture into the distribution areas. Even if 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 some risks, like pedestrians exposed to moving lift trucks.
Pedestrian safety is a huge problem that has to be dealt with and not disregarded. Based on the NIOSH or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; about 20% of all forklift mishaps 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 which should be taken into consideration. This is regardless to how briefly or frequently people are around industrial trucks in their work day. Amongst the main considerations is that lift truck pedestrian mishaps usually occur in cases where the pedestrian is ignorant of safety measures. Problems also happen more frequently when the pedestrian ends up complacent since she or he has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts.
In order 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 lift truck. Numerous operations have different degrees of blind corners or intersections which pedestrians have to know. Sometimes pedestrians do not hear the forklift. Be careful of the different kinds of power sources. For example, electric trucks could be much quieter than IC engines which are super loud.
Coming in too near the equipment is another common problem for pedestrians. In order for a pedestrian to be injured by a forklift, common sense tells us that the pedestrian needs to be in close proximity to be struck. For a lift truck which is working, a four foot safety zone is suggested in order to make a safe perimeter for everybody. This really helps to deal with risks such as the model accidentally driving over a pedestrian's foot.
Following and implementing strict safety protocol helps to make sure that the workplace safety stays top notch and remains paramount.