Warehouse Pedestrian Safety

Dan Tandy, Forklift Safety and Operator Training Manager

During this month of June, we’ve been focusing on forklift safety as part of our monthlong celebration of National Forklift Safety Day. Today though, we’ll be focusing on warehouse pedestrian safety. While not all of us in the material handling industry are forklift operators, we are all pedestrians in a warehouse at one time or another, and it’s important for us to pay close attention to our surroundings at all times to ensure that we and others are always safe.

There are a few key things to keep in mind while going about our business in a warehouse:

  1. When entering a warehouse from the outdoors or another room, always use the man door. Using an open bay door can put you in the way of transportation and equipment traffic, increasing the odds of a collision. Use the man door instead. Once inside, take a moment to let your eyes adjust to the difference in lighting so that you can proceed safely.
  2. Be aware that forklifts steer from the rear axle, unlike a car which steers from the front axle. If you are not aware of this ahead of time, you may unexpectedly be struck by a forklift when its rear end swings out to make a turn.
  3. When walking though a warehouse, always be on the lookout for forklifts that might be traveling in your path. Be sure to pause and ensure you make eye contact with the forklift operator before crossing in front of it.

Check out our warehouse pedestrian safety video playlist below for more details.

To get formal forklift operator training, schedule yourself for a class or contact us if you have any questions. To view more safety tips, visit our YouTube channel.