Walk-behind electric pallet jacks are widely used in daily material handling scenarios of logistics warehouses, retail distribution centers and manufacturing workshops, which greatly improve the efficiency of goods transit. However, cross-operation of these devices and on-site pedestrians may bring hidden safety risks if no clear right-of-way rules are set, so formulating standardized pedestrian right-of-way practices for relevant operating zones is a core part of on-site safety management.

The first core practice is pre-planning of operating zones with clear visual identification. Managers need to divide independent pedestrian passages and electric pallet jack operating areas with durable, eye-catching ground marking lines, and set up warning signs at all intersections, corner positions and narrow channel entrances. Convex rearview mirrors can be installed at blind corners to expand the visual field of both operators and pedestrians, and no idle goods, empty pallets or sundries are allowed to be stacked in any passage to avoid blocking sight or taking up operation space.

The second core practice is establishing a clear and uniform right-of-way priority rule. All site pedestrians, including staff conducting manual picking, sorting, patrol inspection and small parts carrying, enjoy the top priority of road rights in any overlapping area. Walk-behind electric pallet jack operators must actively slow down to a safe speed at all potential pedestrian crossing points, and yield to pedestrians unconditionally immediately once they see anyone entering the operating zone. When the goods loaded on the pallet jack block the forward view, the operator must arrange a designated guide to walk ahead of the device, and it is prohibited to move forward blindly along the blocked path.

The third core practice is building a long-term training and daily inspection mechanism. All personnel who use walk-behind electric pallet jacks need to receive systematic safety training before taking up the post, and pass the assessment of right-of-way rules before they can operate the device independently. Daily pre-shift inspection must check whether the acousto-optic warning device of the pallet jack works normally, and whether the ground markings and warning signs in the operating zone are complete. At the peak of daily operation, special personnel can be arranged to patrol key intersections to remind all parties to abide by the right-of-way rules.

The last part is continuous optimization of management mechanism. A smooth hidden danger reporting channel should be opened for all on-site staff, so that any minor near-collision risk can be reported in time for management to carry out targeted investigation and adjustment. The site route planning and right-of-way reminder measures can be adjusted dynamically according to the change of operation flow, to adapt to different operation scenarios and ensure the long-term stable safety of the whole site.