A traffic management plan is a written site plan that sets how forklifts, other vehicles and pedestrians move through a facility, covering routes, crossings, speed limits, signage and rules for shared areas.
The plan usually starts with a site map marking vehicle routes, pedestrian walkways, crossings, one-way aisles, blind corners, docks, charging areas and no-pedestrian zones. It then sets rules for each: speed limits, right of way, horn use, where pedestrians may cross, and which controls, such as barriers, mirrors, lights or detection systems, apply at each hotspot. It is reviewed after layout changes, peak-season staffing changes and incidents.
OSHA does not require a document with this name, but 29 CFR 1910.176 requires safe clearances for aisles and marked permanent aisles where mechanical handling equipment is used, and 1910.178 sets travel rules for operators. A written plan is a practical way to show how those duties and the employer’s general duty are met. Safe Work Australia publishes a warehousing traffic management guide that is useful as a template. See the warehouse traffic management plan guide.