Safety Tip of the Week – Pedestrians and Forklifts

Pedestrians, whether they are walking down the aisle of a plant or walking down a city street, are no match against moving steel. As a matter of fact, as pedestrians, your fellow employees are probably much more aware of the dangers involved in being hit by a car as it drives past them than they are aware of the dangers involved in being hit or crushed by a powered industrial truck as it goes by them at work. If you are driving your truck down a narrow aisle and there is a pedestrian in the aisle who steps to the side to let you by, are you absolutely positive that there is enough clearance for you to get by? Remember, you are responsible for safety.

As a pedestrian in a forklift environment, it’s your responsibility to keep yourself safe. Anyone who runs a warehouse or industrial facility understands the dangers and trains his or her drivers. But the pedestrians, the order pickers, the managers, and vendors who sometimes roam your facility also need to be trained.

Pedestrians need to maintain a respectful distance around forklifts. In doing so, pedestrians heavily rely on vision and hearing; however, those faculties have their limits which should be acknowledged and augmented.

Pedestrians should understand the operating characteristics of lift trucks when working in their proximity, and should understand and follow pedestrian rules that are established for their specific environment by their employers.

Rules for Pedestrians:

• Pedestrians should stop or slow down at blind intersections.

• Pedestrians should stay out of the path of the lift truck no matter who has the right of way.

• Watch for the forks of the lift truck as well as movements that may endanger you as you walk.

• Never walk or stand under a lift mechanism or hitch a ride on a forklift.

• Never ride on any part of the lift truck except in the operator’s seat.

• Never engage in horseplay in areas where lift trucks are operating.

By following each of these common sense rules, you will make yourself more visible to forklift drivers and avoid becoming a “near-fatality.”

Watch where you are walking so you don’t need a walker!!