Clear the Aisles

Inside most plants, well marked and efficiently laid out aisles are needed to provide optimum protection and ease of movement of personnel and material.

Aisle lines are intended to provide unobstructed paths for personnel and vehicles conveying materials, parts in processes or finished products from location to location. Therefore, we must observe certain travel patterns for such traffic as well as rules for their movement.
Perhaps the first consideration in keeping these paths clear is to see that nothing is stacked so that it extends beyond the marked line. Also see that nothing is left in the aisle ways, such as tools, boxes, scrap and debris. Constantly check floor conditions and report those areas needing attention to your supervisor. This applies to areas where lights have burned out and better illumination is needed.
Most aisle ways have intersections where various precautionary methods have been installed, such as warning signs, four-way stops and convex corner mirrors. Alarms for overhead hazards, like cranes and hoists, consisting of gongs, sirens or bells, are required. Pay attention to them and stay alert.

Aisle safety and powered industrial trucks are closely related. Powered industrial truck operators must learn a set of rigid rules, including procedures relating to the manner of travel, warnings, relationship to pedestrian traffic, speed, security of the load and procedures at aisle intersections. It is the responsibility of all of us to cooperate and observe the rules laid down for powered industrial truck operators. Aisle marking is a fundamental part of truck and pedestrian movement in almost every large plant.
Therefore, it only makes sense that to provide the utmost in safe working conditions we must all be courteous to each other.
It must be pointed out that there will be times when it is necessary to have an electric power cord or a compressed industrial gas hose cross an aisle way. Provisions will be made for bridging by affixing boards on either side of the cord or hose so that neither trucks nor pedestrians need come in contact with the hose or cord.

The importance of clear aisles is brought sharply to our attention when we consider access to fire extinguishers and to fire escape routes. Never permit aisles to become cluttered, especially where it could prevent persons from reaching a fire extinguisher, turning in an alarm or escaping in the event of a fire.

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