The Top 4 Ways to Avoid Pedestrian and Forklift Accidents

A pedestrian forklift accident. In January and February 2022, there were 18 OSHA reported injuries where employees experienced injuries such as a crushed leg, fractured pelvis and contusions. Even though 4 out of 5 forklift accidents don’t involve a pedestrian, instead a portion of those involve the forklift driver. So now you have pedestrians and the forklift driver injured or killed…that’s still too many people. How can a pedestrian forklift accident be prevented? We’ll address some ways you’ve heard of…and maybe one you haven’t. Let’s take a look.

How Can a Pedestrian Forklift Accident be Prevented?

A pedestrian forklift accident is when the forklift and pedestrian cross paths at the same time causing a collision where the pedestrian gets injured or killed due to the impact of a highly durable metal truck. Let’s review some steps that can be taken to avoid a pedestrian forklift accident in your facility.

#1 Clear Designation for Pedestrians and Forklifts

One effective way to avoid a pedestrian forklift accident is to have clear markings for were pedestrians are to walk. These pedestrian designated walkways are marked usually close to the walls or outer areas of the building so the forklift drivers can move freely without coming in close contact with people.

The same can be said of designated areas for forklifts. If they know their areas for movement, then it makes it easier for faster for them to get their jobs done.

#2 Install Barriers in Key Areas

There are certain areas within the facility where pedestrians work. These work areas should be protected from forklifts coming into their workspace. Barriers are a good way to show and indicate to forklift drivers that this is a protected space.

#3 Remove Obstacles

This is certainly a tougher one to implement. Removing obstacles in the path where forklifts drive or frequent is key. However, even if you do a check within the facility, two minutes after you walk away, and obstacle could have fallen or have been placed in an area by a worker.

This is where a pedestrian detection system comes in to help. The SIERA.AI S3 forklift safety system identifies and notifies the forklift driver if a pedestrian is within the path or if it’s an object. Or the ultimate, which is a pedestrian bending behind the obstacle. Our system performs partial human detection and notifies the driver that a human is behind the obstacle. This helps keep the areas safe even in areas that are not well lit.

#4 Turning In / Out

It is no surprise that turning in / out of aisles or even passing near doorways, and warehouse openings made the list. We can use all sorts of warning signals such as the flashing blue lights, honking the horn and other alarms. However, that is a reactive move. Being proactive with again with the pedestrian detection system. By setting the distance when you want to be alerted to pedestrians within the forklift path, can be a good balance with the current reactive methods.

Overall

Using as many methods as possible to avoid accidents is best for the forklift driver and the pedestrians within its path. Get a closer look at the pedestrian detection system to help your employees stay safe. Contact us today at sales@siera.ai.