Forklift Pedestrian Safety: How to Build a Traffic Management Plan

The Blind-Corner Near Miss

At a building-supply warehouse, an operator carries a tall pallet of boxed light fixtures toward the shipping dock. The load blocks most of his forward view, so he leans out to look around it as he nears the end of a racking aisle. At the same moment, a receiving clerk steps around that corner with a clipboard, taking the shortest route to the office.

The operator sees her high-visibility vest only after the pallet has already passed the end of the rack. He brakes hard, the load shifts on the forks and the clerk jumps back. Nobody is hurt, and both were doing their jobs the usual way. The layout made the near miss possible, and nothing about it will stop the next one.

What Forklift Pedestrian Safety Requires Across Canada

Canada has 14 occupational health and safety (OHS) jurisdictions and no single national forklift law or licence. Most employers follow the OHS law of the province or territory where the work happens. Federally regulated employers, such as interprovincial trucking, rail, ports, airports and Canada Post, follow Part II of the Canada Labour Code and its regulations. The wording changes from place to place, but the same three expectations show up across the country.

Separate pedestrians from forklifts. Alberta's OHS Code (section 259) and British Columbia's OHS Regulation (section 16.6) call for designated walkways that separate pedestrians from mobile equipment where that's practical. New Brunswick's General Regulation (section 216.02) does the same and, where walkways aren't possible, requires a traffic control system, enforced speed limits or the pedestrian and operator acknowledging each other.

The federal regulations (section 14.44) require a clearly marked pedestrian pathway at least 750 millimetres wide along main traffic routes longer than 15 metres, unless a signaller or traffic lights control traffic, and mirrors at blind corners. Ontario's Industrial Establishments regulation (section 20) requires barriers, warning signs or other safeguards wherever vehicle or pedestrian traffic may endanger workers, and Quebec's regulation (section 7) requires pedestrian walkways and their intersections with vehicle routes to be clearly marked with signs.

Control blind spots. In Ontario (section 56), an operator without a full view of the path of travel may only move as directed by a competent signaller. The federal rules (section 14.25) require either a signaller or an unobstructed view, and British Columbia (section 16.6) allows a walk-around check, a signaller or another effective precaution.

Use only competent operators. Alberta (section 256) requires operators to be trained, to have shown their competency to a competent worker the employer designates and to be authorized by the employer. Ontario treats a lift truck as a lifting device that only a competent person may operate (section 51), and New Brunswick (section 216) requires a competent employee.

Quebec (sections 256.2 and 256.3) requires operators to be at least 16 and to complete both theory and supervised practical training on the truck and work area they'll use. The federal rules (section 14.23) require training on inspection, fuelling and safe use, with a written record, and Saskatchewan requires workers to be trained and evaluated before operating powered mobile equipment.

Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and the three territories set their own versions of these duties. Our guide to finding the OHS legislation that applies to your workplace links every jurisdiction's Act and regulations.

CSA B335 and the Forklift Safety Rules Behind Your Plan

CSA B335, Safety standard for lift trucks, covers the design, operation and maintenance of most powered lift trucks, including operator training. CSA published a new edition, CSA B335:25, in April 2025, replacing the 2015 edition.

A standard is only law where legislation adopts it, and a regulation may name a specific edition or a different standard. British Columbia's regulation still refers to CAN/CSA B335-15, while Quebec's points to an ASME standard for the design of newer trucks. Even where B335 isn't adopted, many clients and auditors across Canada expect forklift training and practices to follow it. Your plan should also reflect the manufacturer's instructions and the truck's load rating chart, which Alberta requires to be readily available to the operator.

Separate People and Forklifts First

The strongest controls sit at the top of the hierarchy of controls. The UK Health and Safety Executive puts it plainly: the most effective way to protect pedestrians is to separate their routes from vehicle routes entirely. Moving the time clock so staff don't cross the dock, scheduling restocking when the floor is quiet, or fencing a main walkway with barrier rail all remove the meeting point rather than managing it.

Painted lines show people where to walk, but they don't stop anyone. Use physical barriers wherever forklift traffic is heavy or visibility is poor.

Routes, Crossings and Exclusion Zones

Where people must cross a forklift route, put the crossing where both sides can see clearly, never at the end of a rack or beside a doorway. Barriers can funnel walkers to the crossing, and a gate or stop line makes them pause before stepping out.

An exclusion zone keeps people out of the area around a working truck. Canadian law doesn't set one universal distance. WorkSafe Victoria in Australia recommends at least three metres for a truck travelling at walking pace with its load at axle height, which is a useful benchmark for your hazard assessment. Alberta's 600-millimetre clearance rule is different: it applies where someone could be caught between moving equipment and another object.

Speed and Visibility Controls

Posted, enforced speed limits give operators time to stop. Mirrors, good lighting, horn use at intersections and warning lights all help, but they support separation rather than replace it.

When a load blocks the forward view, the operator should travel in reverse where safe or use a signaller. Backup alarms help too, and British Columbia requires one on mobile equipment that backs up where the operator can't see behind, plus another way to protect pedestrians where they may not hear it. Hearing protection and noisy docks make that last point matter.

Operator Competency Is Necessary but Not Enough

Whatever your jurisdiction requires, evaluate every operator on the truck and site they'll use, and keep records of who assessed them and when.

Remember, though, that the blind-corner near miss involved a trained operator. Training can't make a blind corner safe. Supervisors also need to enforce the walking rules and coach pedestrians, not just operators.

Records That Support Forklift Pedestrian Safety

When an OHS officer, auditor or client asks how you protect pedestrians, these records answer the question:

• The traffic management plan and site map, with the date it was last reviewed.
• The hazard assessment or job hazard analysis for forklift work.
• Operator training, competency evaluations and the authorized-operator list.
• Pre-use inspection records for each truck.
• Orientation records showing workers, contractors and visitors were briefed on traffic rules.
• Inspection findings, near-miss reports and closed corrective actions.

Regular workplace safety inspections should check the plan against what's happening on the floor, including damaged barriers, blocked walkways and pallets stored in crossings.

Why This Matters for Your Business

Forklift and pedestrian collisions are rarely minor. WorkSafe Victoria reports that pedestrians make up almost half of the people injured by forklifts, and crushing is the most common injury. A single incident can bring a regulator's investigation and orders, a serious WCB claim and lost shifts while the area is shut down.

Damaged product and racking, rushed corrective actions and harder prequalification questions follow. COR and SECOR audits look for hazard assessments, inspections and training records, so a missing traffic plan usually costs audit points before it costs anything worse. A clear, current plan supports workplace safety, smoother operations and a credible due diligence position.

Final Thoughts

Forklift pedestrian safety isn't solved by a sign, a vest or a training certificate on its own. It's solved by a layout that keeps people and trucks apart, and by rules everyone follows where they still meet.

This week, walk your floor during a busy hour and watch where people actually go. If they're crossing where the forklifts are, start your plan there, and contact Calgary Safety Consultants when you'd like an experienced second set of eyes.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the requirements that apply in your province or territory.

About the author

John Duplessis, B.Sc., CRSP

President and Principal Health & Safety Consultant

John Duplessis is a Canadian Registered Safety Professional with more than 30 years of occupational health and safety experience in oil and gas, construction, green energy, midstream operations, and industrial project work.

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