Field Story · Workplace Transport
The Blind Corner Where Paths Crossed
A forklift and a pedestrian met at a warehouse corner with no mirror, no marked walkway and stacked pallets blocking the sightline. The truck driver braked hard and stopped inches short.
Everyone had used that corner for years and it had always been fine, which is how a hazard hides in plain sight. There was no physical separation between people and vehicles, so the only thing preventing a collision was luck and reaction time.
The lesson
The strongest control is to separate pedestrians and vehicles entirely with marked routes and barriers. Where paths must cross, mirrors, signage and high-visibility clothing meeting EN ISO 20471 reduce the residual risk, but they do not replace separation.
This is a composite case study built from common near-miss patterns, used to illustrate the safety principles involved. It does not describe a specific real person or workplace.