In the daily routine of your average day as a driver, there are a lot of things to watch out for when outside the truck. Whether it is a pothole to twist an ankle or a patch of ice to slip on, there are enough daily hazards to make it an inevitable fact that you are going to encounter something dangerous. Who would've thought that a customer's location was another place to look out for number one. My inspiration for this particular article stems from an incident I recently had where I did not find the dangerous situation, but rather it found me. While on foot in the shipping area of a warehouse I frequent, I was walking back from using their facilities when I approached a blind corner for forklifts, so I approached this crossing with extreme caution. It may have just been my opting for a voluntary safety measure of my own that happened to save me from getting nailed by a forklift toting a tall pallet of freight that day, as he caught sight of me at the last minute and was able to slow down to avoid an accident.
When in a warehouse, you should always operate under the assumption that the forklift driver does not see you. I take certain precautions to maximize my “standing out” against the other distractions that warehouse personnel have to deal with. In this particular instance, it was not the warehouse's policy to have pedestrians wear safety gear, but I took it upon myself wear my fluorescent safety vest to increase my visibility. When walking on foot around forklifts or other warehouse machine operators, I make sure to do as I was trained to do in driving and make eye contact with the operators, making sure they know I am there. Wearing my vest in this warehouse, by my own choice, is what I think helped the forklift driver to see me in time to slow down at that aisle intersection.
Safety at a shipper or receiver should not be limited to increased visibility either. Safety glasses, or even regular glasses, can be useful in many warehouses where particles are floating around or other eye damage hazards may exist. If there are painted walkways for pedestrians, be sure to use them to navigate your way around. If not, try and stay out of the middle of isles and listen 
for moving equipment. Read safety and warning signs posted around as well, since they are there to help keep you safe. Remember, even getting hit by a golf cart or three-wheeled bicycle while walking around the warehouse can injure you. When loading in a production area with loud equipment you may want to consider the use of 
earplugs. I even wear them while standing by the door to monitor loading/unloading a lot of times because most ramps slam down very noisily as forklifts drive over them, which can damage your hearing if loud enough. Should the need arise for any driver-assisted loading or unloading, be sure to carry a back brace for just such an occasion.
Safety in and around the loading docks or loading yards begins and ends with you. No matter how fast or slow you are loaded, it should be priority number one to be on the lookout and remain safe while you are doing so. Safety outside the truck is just as important as when you are behind the wheel! After all, we all want to make it home in one piece and healthy after every stint out on the road!