|
A forklift, when used improperly, can cause severe injuries to people and property. For this reason, a person who is usually around these big machines must understand the risks and go out of their way to avoid problems. Fortunately, with these five tips, a pedestrian can walk around a forklift and avoid getting injured. Maintain eye contact: A pedestrian must assume that the driver cannot see them. To take it further, when a person walks in a warehouse or other area with forklifts, they must attempt to develop eye contact with the driver. With two people acknowledging each other, people can avoid accidents as a forklift driver will not see everything in his or her area. One must remember that they must assume that the operator of the forklift cannot see them and does not know that they are in the area. Listen: A lot of people love using their smartphones to listen to music or talk to their friends. When in an area with lots of machinery, one should avoid this so they can hear everything. Sadly, many do not heed this advice, and they suffer a debilitating injury or death. If a person must use their phone with a headphone, they should only use one side of it so they can still hear an approaching forklift. Keep a safe distance: An operator of a forklift will often need to turn around or make an unpredictable maneuver. When a person is in the area, they may not have time to react and will end up with an injury as they get run over or bumped. To avoid this dangerous problem, a pedestrian must maintain a safe distance from the forklift while it is in operation. Signs: Often, a warehouse worker will put up signs to warn employees of impending danger. Now, many ignore these postings as they are too busy or do not bother to read them. This is a mistake as one wrong move and a pedestrian can find him or herself in serious trouble. Luckily, when an individual sees the signs and exercises more caution, they will not run into problems as they can avoid the situation altogether. Fall zone: When a forklift operator has to reach something up high, they may make a mistake. When a driver accesses something from a top shelf, a pedestrian must avoid the area altogether. In fact, they must realize that an item can fall and hit them even when they assume they are in a safe area. For this reason, when a driver is picking up an item from a shelf, a pedestrian should get out of the area until the operator has finished. Raised forks: One must never walk under the forklift forks when they are raised. Even when the forks are empty, they can still fall and injure a person. Instead, when encountering this, a pedestrian should avoid the area and walk around the forklift. With these five simple tips, a pedestrian can avoid issues when around a forklift. Fortunately, as a person develops these habits, they will become second nature and one will not have to worry.
Related Articles -
forklift safety, safety tips for pedestrians, safety tips, forklift tips, tips for pedestrians,
|
