What is the problem?

Workers are at risk of being injured if workplaces do not take adequate measures to separate forklifts and pedestrians.

What are the risks? 

Even at low speeds forklifts can cause serious injuries and fatalities. Not separating forklifts and pedestrians can result in injuries to forklift operators as well as to pedestrians, who can be crushed against a wall, object or another vehicle. 

What is a solution to the problem? 

Having an adequate traffic management system for managing forklift and pedestrian movements will reduce the risks of forklift related injury. 

Options for physically separating forklifts and pedestrians include: 

 Elevated walkways 

Where possible, pedestrians should be completely segregated from plant or vehicular traffic using elevated walkways. Elevated walkway Separating forklifts and workers Health and Safety Solution – Separation of forklifts and workers 

 Barriers 

Installing physical safety barriers and containment fences will separate pedestrians from forklifts and other mobile plant. This allows forklift operators to clearly see exclusion zones and pedestrian access points in the workplace 

 Dedicated waiting areas 

Where possible, workers should not access loading/receiving areas when forklifts are in operation. Creating dedicated waiting areas for truck drivers will help to prevent accidents between forklifts and pedestrians while unloading occurs. 

 Pedestrian calming 

A process should be implemented to prevent workers from walking across designated forklifts areas. Using inward opening gates as part of a barrier system creates an understanding that workers need to stop and take notice of vehicle movements before crossing the designated traffic area.