Forklift and pedestrian interaction

Forklifts are one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment found in the workplace. Almost half of all people injured by a forklift are pedestrians. Even when travelling at low speeds, forklifts present significant risk to the safety of pedestrians, half the pedestrians killed were crushed by forklifts that were barely moving. Simple measures can be put in place to separate foot and forklift traffic and help lower the injury rate.

A freight company was recently convicted and fined $375,000 in the Victorian Court over the death of a worker who was crushed by a 635kg computer server that fell off a forklift whist being unloaded from a truck.

The man was helping the forklift driver manoeuvre the forklift tines under the server so it could be lifted off the truck.  As the forklift lifted the server and reversed, the man remained standing next to the server. It began to move and he lunged forward in an attempt to stabilise it.  The server fell on him, crushing his chest, and he died at the scene.

Causes:

The court heard that a number of factors may have contributed to the server unbalancing. Components inside the server were unevenly distributed, a strong wind was blowing at the time, and the forklift was on slightly sloping ground.

While the Company had a safety policy that required all staff to be at least two metres from working forklifts, the company had no written record that the man had been told of the requirement. The court was told that the company had failed to enforce an exclusion zone as oversized freight was being unloaded from a truck.

What you should do:

Forklifts are one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment found in the workplace. Almost half of all people injured by a forklift are pedestrians. Even when travelling at low speeds, forklifts present significant risk to the safety of pedestrians, half the pedestrians killed were crushed by forklifts that were barely moving.

Simple measures can be put in place to separate foot and forklift traffic and help lower the injury rate.

Traffic management plans are the key to effectively separating powered mobile plant, such as forklifts, from pedestrians, including truck drivers, thereby reducing the risk of forklift-related injuries.

All those at the workplace, including visitors, must be advised of the traffic management plan in place.

An effective traffic management plan can use a range of procedures and devices, including:

• Simple safety practices like maintaining and obeying speed limits, observing stop signs, slowing down and sounding the warning device (horn) at intersections.
• Prohibit or minimise forklift use around tea rooms, time clocks, cafeterias, amenities, entrances and other high volume pedestrian traffic areas.
• Designate exclusion zones for pedestrians and forklifts. Pedestrian exclusion zones should be enforced within a three metre radius of a forklift. This distance should expand when the height of the forklift load or the speed travelled increases. If a pedestrian is within three metres of a forklift, employers are required to justify this practice through risk assessment and suitable risk control measures.  Truck drivers must comply with exclusion zones during loading and unloading activities. Forklift drivers should stop loading / unloading if the exclusion zone is breached.
• Pedestrian walkways must be clearly marked. Installing physical barriers ensures workstations are separated from forklift travel areas.
• A mix of high volume alarms and horns coupled with flashing lights best warn pedestrians of approaching forklifts. Flashing lights are imperative in areas with high levels of ambient workplace noise.
• Safety at intersections and blind corners can be enhanced by the addition of overhead dome mirrors, benefiting pedestrians and forklift operators. Avoid placing bins, racks or storage units that obstruct a forklift operator’s view at intersections or around corners.
• At all workplaces, speed limits should be prominently displayed, observed and enforced. Signs must be placed so that they can be easily seen by forklift operators.
• Employers should purchase forklifts with speed limit devices and, where practicable, retro-fit older forklifts to ensure speed limits are observed and safety precautions taken.
• Forklift operators must ensure each load is carried, lowered and set down in compliance with the manufacturer’s recommendations and company procedures.  Driving with a raised load is a dangerous practice impairing stability and easily leads to tipping, particularly if the forklift is being driven at speed or around a corner or over an uneven surface. Tilting forwards or backwards with a raised load will also affect stability.
• The rated capacity of a forklift must always be noted and never exceeded. Marked weight, a weight gauge or scale can be used to weigh loads and ensure they do not exceed the forklift’s capacity at a given load centre.  Use the ‘load capacity data plates’ that manufacturers detail the load each truck can safely lift.
• Before starting a shift all operators must check their forklift is in safe working order, ready to be used and capable of completing the tasks required of it.  If any damage or problems with a forklift are noticed, they must immediately be reported to a supervisor and not used until repaired.
• All forklift operators must be trained and hold a relevant Certificate of Competency.