Forklifts: Pedestrian Safety

It’s easy to forget forklifts are powerful, dangerous vehicles when you’re around them all day. It’s also easy to take a turn too fast or forget to honk while backing up in the hurry to finish your work. Easy to forget, that is until someone gets hurt. On average, 20,000 workers are killed or injured in forklift-related incidents each year.

Who is responsible for forklift safety?

The safety of pedestrians working around forklifts is shared by the pedestrian and the forklift operator. Forklift accidents happen when pedestrians are either hit by a forklift or a load. It’s important for you to remain aware of your surroundings, especially in areas of heavy pedestrian traffic. Forklifts typically operate in confined spaces which create blind spots and areas of impaired visibility. 

This course will cover the following areas: 

• Common pedestrian traffic hazards
• Best safety practices for drivers
• Best safety practices for pedestrians
• and OSHA safety standards.

Forklifts maneuver differently than other vehicles. This requires you and other workers to practice awareness of their surroundings. This is known as situational awareness, which is a crucial skill for ensuring workplace safety.