Lighting problems

Barrett Miller of the American Society of Safety Engineers notes that 25 percent of forklifts accidents aren’t caused by drivers, but by controllable environmental factors, including lighting.

An accident that occurred in a dark warehouse where light readings measured 5 candlepower was “far under the acceptable level for general operations,” Miller says.

Dark environments are especially harmful to drivers over 40, whose vision deteriorates. “The effect on the worker is predictable,” Miller says. “As we lose our ability to discriminate objects in dim settings, we become more sensitive to glare. A forklift driver may have too little depth perception in a dark warehouse. He may not see a fellow employee in time to respond.
“OSHA established a minimum standard for lighting in areas where forklifts operate,” he says. “If the light level in an area is below 2 lumens per square foot, the truck must use auxiliary lights. The light in a warehouse measuring 2 candlepower is seriously substandard. All safety codes recommend a minimum light level of 20 footcandles in warehouses. This level of illumination should be adequate for older workers.”