According to OSHA, approximately 35,000 serious injuries and 62,000 non-serious injuries involving forklifts occur each year in the U.S., many of which are due to poor visibility, blind spots, and uncontrolled intersections in warehouses.
How Collision Awareness Systems Help Meet OSHA Forklift & Pedestrian Safety Guidelines
Bryan Hohlfelder, Collision Awareness
In the fast-paced world of warehousing and material handling, safety is more than just good practice: it’s a regulatory necessity. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets clear expectations for managing workplace traffic hazards, especially where powered industrial trucks (PITs) like forklifts operate near pedestrians.
At Collision Awareness, we help businesses not only reduce accidents but also support compliance with key OSHA forklift safety standards. Here’s how:
OSHA’s Focus on Forklift & Pedestrian Safety
According to OSHA, approximately 35,000 serious injuries and 62,000 non-serious injuries involving forklifts occur each year in the U.S. (source), many of which are due to poor visibility, blind spots, and uncontrolled intersections in warehouses.
OSHA Standard 1910.178 (source) addresses the safe operation of forklifts and includes expectations such as:
– Keeping a clear view of the path of travel
– Ensuring adequate warning of approaching equipment
– Separating pedestrian and vehicle traffic where possible
– Providing adequate training and signage
– Taking steps to minimize risks in high-traffic areas
Where Collision Awareness Fits In
Collision Awareness units are designed to enhance visibility and deliver real-time alerts in areas where forklifts intersect or where traffic intersects with pedestrian movement, including:
• Aisle ends
• Loading docks
• Overhead doorways
• Blind intersections
• Busy traffic zones within warehouses
By integrating motion sensors, flashing red LED lights, and optional audible alarms, our systems help alert workers of oncoming traffic before a collision occurs!
This aligns directly with OSHA’s expectations for hazard awareness and mitigation in powered industrial truck zones.
Real-World Example: Enhancing OSHA Compliance
Let’s say you operate a warehouse where forklift operators routinely exit a racking aisle into a shared pedestrian path. OSHA requires you to evaluate this hazard and take action.
Traditional solutions might include:
• Mirrors
• Floor paint
• Employee training
However, mirrors can be ignored and paint can fade over time. Collision Awareness provides active warnings that:
• Catch attention every time
• Work even when line-of-sight is blocked
• Can be customized for different intersection types
This makes our products excellent engineering controls, the preferred mitigation method in OSHA’s hierarchy of hazard controls.
OSHA & the Hierarchy of Controls
OSHA promotes a Hierarchy of Controls approach to safety:
1. Elimination → remove the hazard
2. Substitution → replace the hazard
3. Engineering controls → isolate people from hazards
4. Administrative controls → change how people work
5. PPE → personal protective equipment
Collision Awareness falls into the Engineering Controls category as a proactive way to separate people from danger without relying solely on training or PPE.
Easy to Install, Easy to Comply
Another bonus? Our systems are:
• Simple to install – on racks, wall, or hanging down from ceilings
• Modular and customizable – options for any layout or application
• Plug-and-play – no electrician required, plus directly into a 110/120V outlet.
We make it easy to start improving safety immediately, improving your employees’ safety while showcasing your commitment to safety for your next audit or OSHA inspection.
Better Safety = Better Business
Improving compliance isn’t just about avoiding citations. Businesses that invest in forklift and pedestrian safety see real benefits:
• Fewer accidents and injuries
• Higher employee morale
• Lower workers’ comp claims
• Stronger reputation for safety and responsibility
Products That Help Support OSHA Forklift Safety Compliance
While all of our products can be utilized in your facility, we recommend these solutions as first products for facilities aiming to strengthen OSHA compliance and create a safer workplace:
• Look Out 1 R – Mounted at the end of aisles or corners to warn of approaching traffic for 90° blind spots.
• Look Out 4 – For four-way intersections where traffic from all directions poses a risk. It can be hung from the ceiling or from rack using our Rack Mount Arm.
• Overhead Door 4 – For blind spots created by overhead doors openings
You can’t always eliminate warehouse traffic hazards and human error, but you can take steps to manage and minimize them. Collision Awareness helps you meet OSHA expectations while protecting your team from forklift-related accidents. Your warehouse has blind spots. Collision Awareness does not.
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of ManufacturingTomorrow
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