Lift Truck Accidents – Be Aware!

Pedestrians already know that they need to be aware of their surroundings – any kind of car can lose control. But truck accidents are the most dangerous kinds of impact. In the workplace, common-sense rules of the road should be applied when around lift trucks. Thousands of lift truck accidents occur every year, some even resulting in deaths. Lift truck accidents are especially dangerous because the pedestrian is struck not only by the truck itself but also by whatever it is lifting.

Reports on lift truck accidents tend to be hazy on the exact details of the incident. This may be due to unstandardized reporting rules or to intentional withholding on the company’s part because of their own standards or reporting choices. What we do know is that accidents occur roughly as often with reversing trucks as with those moving forward, and many of the accidents happen to people working closely with the lift operator at the time of collision.

Even though specific instructions will not apply to all cases of lift truck accidents, there are still a few key points that should be addressed to improve overall workplace safety and reduce the likelihood of lift truck accidents.

• Workers using the lift trucks and those working around them should all be trained properly on lift truck safety and what to do in case of emergency.
• It is also helpful to establish separate areas in which lift trucks and pedestrians can travel in order to physically remove ground workers from the area surrounding the trucks.
• Limiting lift truck speeds will further help save workers’ lives, since they will have more time to move out of the way and lift truck operators will have better control of their vehicles.

Overall, lift truck safety should be a much more heavily investigated category of incident than it is currently. Without proper data, OSHA cannot create specific standards for companies to enforce. Incident reporting is therefore key to preventing as many lift truck accidents as possible, saving your company time, and saving employees from serious harm.