Pedestrian Safety in the Workplace

Accidents occur all the time involving workplace pedestrians and material handling equipment. One-third of all forklift accidents involve a pedestrian getting struck or run over by a forklift. Many times we train our forklift operators and we overlook the pedestrians who occupy the same area. Safety is a SHARED responsibility between forklift operators and the pedestrians who share the same aisles.

Many pedestrians do not treat the aisles of their workplace as they would the roadways that they cross when walking down a street. Most people will look before crossing a road because they were trained to do it since they were children—but they will walk out of doorways or blind spots and cross the aisles of their workplace without even looking for forklifts.

Thompson & Johnson Equipment Co. sells Pedestrian Safety Videos, created to help pedestrians stay aware of forklifts as they walk through the workplace. These videos can also help pedestrians understand certain characteristics of a forklift, such as wide tail swings, and not to walk under raised forks or loads.

Do you have clearly marked aisles for your pedestrians to walk safely on? OSHA has several recommendations concerning aisles and passageways:

"When using aisles and passageways to move materials mechanically, workers must allow sufficient clearance for aisles at loading docks, through doorways, wherever turns must be made and in other parts of the workplace. Providing sufficient clearance for mechanically moved materials will prevent workers from being pinned between the equipment and fixtures of the workplace, such as the wall, racks, posts or other machines. Sufficient clearance also will prevent the load from striking an obstruction and falling on an employee. Employers must ensure that all passageways the worker uses remain clear of obstructions and tripping hazards. Workers should not store materials in excess of supplies needed for immediate operations in aisles or passageways, and employers must mark permanent aisles and passageways appropriately." (OSHA 2236.2002)

OSHA also gives requirements for marking and width requirements for aisles in industrial operations:

"The lines used to delineate the aisles may be any color so long as they clearly define the area considered as aisle space. The lines may be composed of dots, squares, strips or be continuous, but they must define the aisle area. The recommended width of aisle markings varies from 2 inches to 6 inches; therefore, any width 2 inches or more is considered acceptable. The recommended width of aisles is at least 3 feet wider than the largest equipment to be utilized, or a minimum of 4 feet."
(Standard Number 1910.22(b))

We highly recommend that you consult with your insurance company before installing these items or any other safety devices on your forklifts. Your insurance company also can help to determine what other safety needs may be appropriate for your workplace. For more information on how we can make your workplace safer for pedestrians, please call us at 315-437-2281.

Thompson & Johnson has been a successful distributor and service center for Hawker Industrial batteries and chargers for almost 20 years! Hawker is the world's largest brand of industrial lead-acid batteries and offers a complete line of products for power solutions tailored to the individual requirements of your operation. As an EnerSys company with over 80 years of motive power experience, Hawker works with Thompson & Johnson to offer you the right power solutions for your needs. Please contact your Thompson & Johnson representative for more information, or visit www.hawkerpowersource.com.

Thompson & Johnson is pleased to announce that we have recently been named as an authorized distributor for Edison Minit-Charger, the innovator in the fast charging industry. Minit-Charger organized and refined the revolutionary technologies that allow the fast charging of lift truck batteries. Since 1998, Edison has provided competitive advantages to their customers by delivering breakthrough operational methods of recharging lift trucks. Some of the potential benefits are:

• Eliminating battery changing, thereby increasing safety
• Running multiple shifts on one battery
• Eliminating costly battery rooms and changing equipment
• Reducing power costs.
  

Please consult with your Thompson & Johnson representative or visit www.minit-charger.com for additional information.