7 Creative Ways to Improve Pedestrian and Forklift Safety

Ensuring pedestrian and forklift safety in industrial environments is crucial, and implementing creative strategies can significantly reduce accidents and improve overall safety.

• By Vernon O'Donnell
• Aug 05, 2024

Vehicle safety is a universal concern in industrial industries. Vehicles like forklifts in retail, supply chain, food and beverage, grocery, and other sectors need to be a constant focal point for safety leaders. Ensuring both pedestrian and forklift safety is a critical responsibility and can be challenging.

The numbers are staggering. One in ten forklifts in the workplace are involved in incidents. And according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), nearly 20 percent of forklift accidents involve a pedestrian. That means, of the 96,000 forklift injuries in North America every year, roughly 19,000 pedestrians are injured.

While the human toll of forklift safety is the most important element, it’s also worth going over the tremendous financial cost these incidents inflict on companies. The National Safety Council calculates that the average cost of a worker’s compensation claim for a forklift related injury is over $38,000 and the average total cost per injury exceeds $150,000.

There are several effective strategies for improving pedestrian and forklift safety. Here are seven creative ways to enhance safety in the workplace:

Add Stop Signs

When a forklift or vehicle fails to stop at critical points, the risk of collision increases significantly. These incidents can involve crashing into other vehicles, equipment or pedestrians. Installing physical or digital stop signs at critical points such as intersections, doors and aisle ends can significantly reduce the risk of collisions. This sounds simple — and it is — but adding these signs and signals to the workplace can significantly decrease forklift and pedestrian safety incidents. Digital stop signs are even more effective than traditional signs.

Impose Speed Limits

Did you know that the average forklift weighs more than 4 tons? That doesn’t include the cargo being carried by the lift. It is not a wise idea to allow that kind of volume to move irresponsibly through a work area. It’s clear that the faster the speed, the greater the risk of injury to the operator and others in the vicinity. This is why it is important that all operators are subject to reasonable and safe speed limits. These limits should not only be taught in training but also posted wherever the forklift travels. Newer technology also helps to control the speed of a forklift by radar. 

Add Crosswalks

Pedestrians and vehicles on the road understand the importance of crosswalks and how they operate. In the work environment, a crosswalk may be out of context and the same “rules of the road” may not trigger a machinery operator or worker to follow the same guidelines they would while out on the street. Creating designated crosswalks ensures that pedestrians always have the right of way. One customer added a stop sign and a crosswalk to accommodate pedestrian traffic coming out of office areas. This small change to the workplace had an immediate impact. 

Add Directional Driving Lanes Through Crowded Docks

Loading dock areas may be occupied by forklifts, pallet jacks or other heavy equipment and they can also be congested with materials and workers performing different types of tasks. When workers are performing work on or near loading docks, it is important to follow safety guidelines to prevent injuries. Implementing directional driving lanes in crowded dock areas streamlines traffic flow and minimizes the risk of accidents. Implied rules or norms are no longer sufficient to keep vehicles and people safe. Clear lane markings help drivers navigate safely, reducing the likelihood of collisions. 

Install Mirrors

Placing mirrors at strategic locations, such as corners and intersections, enhances visibility for forklift operators. This is another simple, effective (and inexpensive) safety measure that goes a long way. Mirrors allow drivers to see around corners, preventing unexpected collisions with other forklifts or pedestrians.

Use Doorway Sensors and a Vehicle Control System

A Vehicle Control System (VCS) that includes doorway sensors can have a huge impact on forklift and PIT safety. This is especially true at points when vehicles are entering and exiting workplaces. Using doorway sensors can detect and alert operators to potential hazards as they approach doorways. These sensors help ensure that forklifts only proceed when it is safe to do so, preventing accidents in high-traffic areas. Additionally, a VCS can regulate a vehicle’s speed and make sure it does not enter pedestrian areas.

Maintain a Clear and Unobstructed View

It is critical that drivers ALWAYS have a clear and unobstructed view when operating powered equipment. The forklift or PIT operator must not move under any circumstances if the view of the travel path is obstructed. This point cannot be hammered home strongly enough in training sessions, pre-shift meetings and any other opportunities. When employees internalize this rule, pedestrian and forklift safety improves.

Ensuring pedestrian and forklift safety is a critical concern for any industrial workplace. And now site intelligence technology allows safety leaders to address leading incident indicators before they turn into accidents. Real-time vehicle safety data and analysis help companies institute these safety solutions and train employees in specific ways that will immediately address a workplace’s individual risks. The cost of using yesterday’s technology to address today’s workplace is too high, especially when vehicle-related incidents are involved.