Particular OSHA requirements have to be met in order to operate any type of forklift. Many of the companies using lift trucks would provide basic training to the other office and sales employees in addition to visitors and other non operators who may venture into the distribution areas. Even if OSHA doesn't particularly deal with forklift pedestrian training, the OSHA General Duty Clause dictates that employers need to take measures in order to protect employees from certain dangers, like for instance pedestrians exposed to lift trucks in motion.
Pedestrian safety is a big concern which has to be addressed and not disregarded. Based on the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH; roughly 20 percent of all forklift mishaps include a pedestrian being struck by a forklift. This statistic means roughly 19,000 individuals every year.
Nevertheless briefly or frequently people are around industrial trucks in their work day, there are some basic steps which must be taken in order to keep everyone safe. One of the major factors is that lift truck pedestrian accidents usually occur in cases where the pedestrian is not aware of safety precautions. Problems also occur more frequently when the pedestrian ends up complacent since he or she has become used to frequent interaction with forklifts.
There are some common situations to look out for so as to prevent placing yourself at potential risk from being struck by a forklift. Pedestrians not seeing the forklift is a common issue which needs to be dealt with. Numerous operations have various degrees of blind corners or intersections that pedestrians should know. At times pedestrians do not hear the lift truck. Be very careful of the various kinds of power sources. Like for instance, electric trucks could be much quieter as opposed to IC engines that are really loud.
Coming in too near the machinery is another common concern for pedestrians. In order for a pedestrian to be injured by a forklift, common sense tells us that the pedestrian has to be near to be struck. For a forklift that is working, a four foot safety zone is recommended so as to make a safe perimeter for everybody. This helps to deal with risks like for instance the model accidentally driving over a pedestrian's foot.
To make certain that the workplace safety remains paramount and stays top notch, the implementation and following of strict safety protocol is vital.