Forklift Pedestrian Safety: 9 Controls That Keep People on Foot From Being Hit

Written for supervisors and safety leads. Walkways, barriers, blind corners, horn rules, and whether OSHA requires spotters, with the rule or federal guidance behind each one.

The short answer

Separate people from trucks wherever you can, and control the places where they still meet. That means marked walkways and barriers, no forklifts near break rooms and exits at shift change, mirrors and a horn at blind corners, posted speed limits, and training for both operators and people on foot. OSHA's forklift rule does not require spotters, but it does require operators to slow down, sound the horn and look where they are going.

How often are pedestrians hit by forklifts?

Often enough that BLS lists it among the five events behind the most forklift deaths. In 2017, the most recent year in BLS's forklift fact sheet, 9 of the 74 deaths were pedestrian vehicular incidents: a worker on foot hit by a forklift that was traveling. Another 13 were people struck by a forklift that was working rather than traveling, such as while it was placing a load. BLS's 2018 table, its last for forklifts, counted 13 pedestrian deaths out of 115.

Injuries are far more common. Of the 9,050 forklift injuries in 2017 that cost workers days away from work, BLS counted 1,850 that involved pedestrians while the forklift was traveling.

Older federal data says the same. NIOSH's review of 1,021 forklift deaths from 1980 to 1994 found that 20 percent were a worker on foot struck by a forklift, second only to overturns at 22 percent. OSHA's forklift eTool notes that pedestrian injuries happen both "when forklifts strike pedestrians or when pedestrians are struck by falling loads."

More numbers are on our forklift accident statistics page.

What does OSHA require to protect pedestrians from forklifts?

These six rules do most of the work, spread across two standards. None of them is labeled "pedestrian safety":

Rule What it says
1910.178(n)(4) Slow down and sound the horn at cross aisles and wherever vision is blocked. If the load blocks the view, travel with the load trailing.
1910.178(n)(6) Look in the direction of travel and keep a clear view of the path.
1910.178(m)(1) Never drive up to anyone standing in front of a bench or other fixed object.
1910.178(m)(2) Nobody stands or passes under the raised forks, loaded or empty.
1910.178(l)(3)(ii)(D) Operator training must cover "pedestrian traffic in areas where the vehicle will be operated."
1910.176(a) Where mechanical handling equipment is used, aisles need safe clearance and must be kept clear, and "permanent aisles and passageways shall be appropriately marked."

Most of the other advice on this page comes from OSHA's forklift eTool and NIOSH's forklift alert, which are guidance, not rules. OSHA can still use recognized hazards to cite an employer under the General Duty Clause. For every forklift rule in one place, see OSHA forklift regulations in plain English.

Does OSHA require a spotter for forklifts?

No paragraph of 1910.178 requires a spotter. The rule's answer to a blocked view is different: travel with the load trailing, (n)(4), and look where you are going, (n)(6).

OSHA's eTool does recommend spotters. It tells operators to "check for situations that require a spotter and use one when traveling," and to "use a spotter for blind spots." When backing up, it suggests "ground guides, rear-view mirrors, spotters, or other aids to increase visibility."

So a spotter is a good control for tight docks, high loads and busy aisles, not a legal minimum. If you use them, agree on signals first; see our forklift hand signals guide.

Do pedestrians have the right of way over forklifts?

In OSHA's guidance, yes. The forklift eTool tells operators to "yield right of way to pedestrians," and when people walk across the route, to stop, wait until they pass, then proceed with caution.

The rule text itself only mentions right of way once, for ambulances, fire trucks and other emergency vehicles, (n)(2). Writing "pedestrians first" into your own site traffic rules is still the safe default, because the eTool also reminds people on foot that forklifts "cannot stop suddenly."

9 forklift pedestrian safety controls that work

Ordered from the controls that remove the hazard to the ones that depend on people doing the right thing. Each one names its source.

Sample floor layout with pedestrian controls A forklift aisle runs across the floor and meets a second forklift aisle at an intersection. A marked pedestrian walkway behind a guardrail runs along the top of the aisle from a break room door. The walkway crosses the second aisle at a striped crossing. A convex mirror sits at the blind corner, and the intersection is marked as a slow down and horn zone. Break room time clock Racking Marked walkway guardrail crossing Racking Slow + horn convex mirror forklift speed limit sign
A sample layout showing controls 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7. Your floor will differ; the idea is that people and trucks only meet at a few marked, visible points.
1

Separate forklift and foot traffic

The strongest control is distance. NIOSH recommends separating forklift traffic from other workers where possible and limiting some aisles "to workers on foot only or forklifts only." Plan routes so trucks and walkers cross at as few points as you can.

Source: NIOSH Alert 2001-109; OSHA forklift eTool, Pedestrian Traffic.

2

Put up physical barriers

Paint tells people where to walk; a guardrail stops a truck. NIOSH says to "install physical barriers where practical to ensure that workstations are isolated from aisles traveled by forklifts." OSHA's eTool lists permanent railings or other protective barriers as a way to separate walkers from trucks.

Source: NIOSH Alert 2001-109; OSHA forklift eTool, Pedestrian Traffic.

3

Mark aisles and walkways on the floor

This one is a rule. Where forklifts or other mechanical handling equipment run, "permanent aisles and passageways shall be appropriately marked," and aisles must be kept clear, 1910.176(a). OSHA's eTool suggests floor striping for walkways where barriers can't be used. Stripe marked crossings where walkways cross truck aisles.

Source: 29 CFR 1910.176(a); OSHA forklift eTool, Pedestrian Traffic.

4

Keep forklifts away from break rooms and exits at shift change

The same aisle can be quiet at 10 a.m. and packed at 3 p.m. NIOSH recommends restricting forklifts "near time clocks, break rooms, cafeterias, and main exits, particularly when the flow of workers on foot is at a peak (such as at the end of a shift or during breaks)."

Source: NIOSH Alert 2001-109.

5

Fix blind corners

Walk each intersection from both sides. NIOSH says to evaluate blind corners for overhead dome mirrors and not to store bins, racks or other materials at corners and intersections where they block the operator's view. OSHA's eTool also says to install convex mirrors at blind aisle intersections.

Source: NIOSH Alert 2001-109; OSHA forklift eTool, Pedestrian Traffic.

6

Use the horn, and add alarms and lights where noise is high

The horn is required: slow down and sound it at cross aisles and wherever vision is blocked, 1910.178(n)(4). Backup alarms and flashing lights are not specifically required, but OSHA's 2012 letter warns that an employer with struck-by hazards that takes no feasible steps may be cited under the General Duty Clause. NIOSH recommends "horns, audible backup alarms, and flashing lights," and says flashing lights matter most where noise is high. If a truck came with an alarm, don't remove it: 1910.178(q)(6) bars altering a truck by eliminating parts.

Source: 29 CFR 1910.178(n)(4), (q)(6); OSHA interpretation letter, November 26, 2012; NIOSH Alert 2001-109.

7

Post plant speed limits and enforce them

OSHA leaves the number to you but makes operators follow it: "All traffic regulations shall be observed, including authorized plant speed limits," 1910.178(n)(1). OSHA's eTool tells plant safety managers to "post traffic control signs" and "post plant speed limits." A limit nobody enforces is a sign, not a control.

Source: 29 CFR 1910.178(n)(1); OSHA forklift eTool, Pedestrian Traffic.

8

Enforce the no-go zones

Three places a person on foot never belongs: under raised forks, (m)(2); between a truck and a bench, rack or wall, (m)(1); and riding on a truck without an authorized, safe place to ride, (m)(3). Make these stop-work rules for everyone, supervisors included.

Source: 29 CFR 1910.178(m)(1), (m)(2), (m)(3).

9

Train operators and people on foot

Operators must be trained on pedestrian traffic where they drive, 1910.178(l)(3)(ii)(D). Nothing in the forklift rule requires training for people on foot, but they are one side of every forklift-pedestrian near miss. OSHA's eTool has a short list for them, below. Our free forklift toolbox talks and safety posters, including a pedestrian right-of-way poster, make that easy to repeat.

Source: 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(3)(ii)(D); OSHA forklift eTool, Pedestrian Traffic.

What should workers on foot know about forklifts?

Five things, all from OSHA's eTool reminders for pedestrians:

  • Forklifts cannot stop suddenly. They are designed to stop slowly to protect the load and stay stable.
  • The driver may not see you. The operator's view can be limited by blind spots.
  • The back end swings wide when a forklift turns. Stand well clear of the rear, not just the forks.
  • Use the walkways, or stay to one side of an equipment aisle.
  • Never ride on a forklift unless it is authorized and built for riders, and never pass under a raised load.

The eTool also tells operators to make eye contact with pedestrians when possible. Teach walkers the same habit: if the driver has not looked at you, assume they have not seen you.

How do you check your floor for pedestrian risks?

Walk it at shift change, when foot traffic peaks. This is our own ten-point walk, built from the rules and guidance above. Every "no" is a fix to schedule:

  1. Are permanent aisles and walkways marked, and is the paint still visible?
  2. Are aisles clear of pallets, bins and trash?
  3. Is there a barrier between workstations and truck aisles where trucks run close?
  4. Can you see around every intersection, or is there a mirror where you can't?
  5. Is anything stored at a corner that blocks the view?
  6. Are forklifts running near the time clock, break room or exits right now?
  7. Is the plant speed limit posted, and are trucks keeping to it?
  8. Did every operator you watched slow down and sound the horn at a blind corner?
  9. Did you see anyone under raised forks, or standing between a truck and a rack?
  10. Are backup alarms and lights that came on the trucks still working?

For the rest of the operating rules, see our forklift safety rules. Planning a crew session? Our National Forklift Safety Day plan includes a pedestrian walk like this one.

Frequently asked questions

How far should a pedestrian stay from a forklift?
OSHA sets no distance in feet for people on foot. The one distance in the forklift rule is between trucks: about three truck lengths from the truck ahead, 1910.178(n)(1). For pedestrians, the rules are about position: never under raised forks, (m)(2), and never between a truck and a fixed object, (m)(1). OSHA's eTool adds that people should stay out of the path where a load could fall.
Does OSHA require blue lights or warning lights on forklifts?
No specific rule requires them. In a 2012 letter OSHA said it "does not specify that powered industrial trucks must be equipped with flashing lights and/or back-up beepers," but an employer with struck-by hazards that takes no feasible steps may be cited under the General Duty Clause. If adding a light affects safe operation of the truck, OSHA's 2004 letter says the maker's approval under 1910.178(a)(4) is needed.
Can forklifts and pedestrians share the same aisle?
Sometimes they have to. OSHA's eTool recommends separating them where you can, and where pedestrians must use equipment aisles, leaving adequate walking space on at least one side and striping the walkway on the floor if barriers can't be used. The operator rules still apply: slow down and sound the horn where vision is blocked, (n)(4).
Who is responsible for forklift pedestrian safety?
The employer. OSHA's rules put the duty to train operators, enforce the operating rules and keep aisles clear and marked on the employer, 1910.178 and 1910.176(a). Operators and workers on foot carry out the rules day to day, but an OSHA citation goes to the company.

Sources: 29 CFR 1910.178 and 1910.176 on osha.gov; OSHA Powered Industrial Trucks eTool, "Pedestrian Traffic" and "Traveling and Maneuvering"; NIOSH Alert, "Preventing Injuries and Deaths of Workers Who Operate or Work Near Forklifts" (Publication 2001-109); BLS forklift fact sheet (2019) and forklift fatality table, 2011 to 2018.

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