Legislators must look further afield than drivers when considering forklift safety issues, says an Australian researcher.

Ken Wood, proprietor of Safety Awareness Forklift Equipment (SAFE), is currently completing a study on the impact pedestrians have on forklift accidents. Australian workers' compensation figures suggest 50 percent of all forklift accidents involve pedestrians.

"Forklift safety training has always focused on the attitudes and skills of drivers, when a lot more attention should be paid to how management and pedestrians themselves can reduce the risk of forklift-related injuries," he said.

Mr Wood, a former general manager of Hyster South Australia, said that, with insurance costs for public liability risks soaring all over the world, employers must adopt a more proactive approach to managing risks.

"Simple forklift traffic management plans and pedestrian exclusion zones will help reduce the risk of injury and, consequently, insurance exposures," he said.

The US Occupational Safety & Health Organisation's move to mandate refresher training for forklift operators was a good idea, but a more general revision of forklift licensing legislation was warranted, Mr Wood said.