Forklift Safety Tip #28 Walkways and Traffic, Who Has Right of Way?
This week I’ve been asked the common question of who has right of way when it comes to forklifts?
So let’s see if we can clear this up. Pedestrians always have right of way over forklifts. Companies should allocate set walkways and systems to teach pedestrians where they should and shouldn’t walk. Visitors, contractors and staff should all be given clear area’s to walk in. Now comes the part that angers most forklift operators. Pedestrians still have right of way even when they are walking in an area’s marked as don’t enter. This means that operators must clearly look out for pedestrians at all times.
It is the responsibility of the operator to “Look in the direction of travel and keep a clear view along the path of travel”. This means that operators can’t get lazy and complacent. They can’t reverse without looking behind them just because there shouldn’t be pedestrians around. It’s their responsibility to look over both shoulders before reversing every single time. If they go backwards one hundred times a shift, then they must look over both shoulders before moving one hundred times a shift.
When a pedestrian is hit, an operator is only not at fault when they can prove that they have looked in the direction of travel and took the necessary precautions to check for pedestrians. If they hit someone simply because they didn’t look then they themselves are at fault no matter what area they are in.
At the same time, pedestrians seen walking in out of bounds areas should be reported and reprimanded.
As far as forklifts giving way to other forklifts are concerned, when a forklift is stopped it should give right of way to other machines already moving (unless company policy is to give certain machines right of way ie: smaller machines give right of way to larger ones).
Companies are advised to adopt and implement their own procedures for giving right of way to cars and trucks on their worksite. Seeing as though forklifts aren’t designed to be as maneuverable in emergency situations as cars, most companies give forklifts right of way in the workplace. Meaning that car’s, trucks, taxis and couriers have to put your production and safety ahead of there hurry.
If you have any question relating to this or any other matter, please feel free to call me on 1300 799 112 or email me nathan@ausforklifttraining.com.au
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