How To Improve Forklift Pedestrian Safety

How To Improve Forklift Pedestrian Safety

Forklifts are heavy pieces of equipment that pose a danger to pedestrians, which necessitates the need for forklift pedestrian safety. This is particularly true if the load shifts and falls on an unaware bystander. Operators must be mindful of this and other potential dangers and know who has the right of way in warehouses. In addition, they should slow down and sound horns when approaching intersections, blind corners, or aisleways.

These tips are essential for improving forklift pedestrian safety in your warehouse or other workspace and are easy to implement. Protect both operators of forklifts and those walking nearby with these simple yet effective measures.

Are Forklifts Really Hazardous?

Forklifts in warehouses, dockyards, construction sites, and distribution centers present a severe hazard. Studies have indicated that up to 20% of forklift accidents involve pedestrians colliding with the machine. Unfortunately, these accidents often lead to severe injury or even death. Therefore, OSHA recommends that both forklift drivers and pedestrians adhere to certain safety precautions to reduce the likelihood of such incidents. In addition, forklift operators should be able to answer how you use vehicle communications equipment cautiously.

Before anything else, bear in mind that forklifts are massive machines unable to stop quickly or navigate around obstacles like traffic. They must come to a complete halt to prevent the shifting of loads, meaning they may have to go over or around someone who steps into their path.

A forklift's size can also pose a problem and a risk to forklift safety for pedestrians and operators alike. Therefore, pedestrians should pause and look both ways before crossing, as a collision with a forklift could prove fatal. Therefore, forklift pedestrian safety must be a focus of all involved.

Separating forklifts and other equipment from pedestrian traffic goes a long way toward improving forklift safety for pedestrians. To do this, mark aisles with bright yellow or bold black stripes or install permanent barriers to separate these two types of traffic. Additionally, it would help forklift pedestrian safety if you cleared any debris from walkways where forklifts travel. Debris on these surfaces increases the risk of someone stepping in front of a forklift, which could be hazardous and lead to an accident. Finally, if your facility has a lot of forklifts, creating particular aisles where pedestrians can walk while these vehicles are working can be beneficial. This could be done by painting an attractive line along the ground or installing permanent barriers to separate these sections from other warehouse areas.

Vehicle Communications Equipment

Warehouse workers and others working at loading docks face a severe risk from forklift-pedestrian collisions. More people are asking, “who has the right of way in warehouses’’ than we would probably like to admit. Here are some annual forklift-related accident stats:

75 to 100 workers killed
62,000 injured, 34,900 of which are considered serious

Vehicle communications equipment like Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), and Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) devices can be a lifesaver for pedestrians and drivers alike. These systems send a vital safety message to vehicles within a certain radius of each other, allowing them to recognize potential hazards sooner. In addition, you can use information can be processed and used to estimate the likelihood that a collision is imminent, giving drivers and operators time to take preventive steps and avoid an accident. Furthermore, technology like this can potentially eliminate distracted driving, speeding, drunk driving, fatigue, and weather issues - just to name a few.

ELOprotect is an automatic forklift pedestrian safety system that uses advanced laser technology to ensure VNA lift trucks avoid accidents. Have you ever asked, “how do you use vehicle communications equipment cautiously?” Then understanding how this system improves safety and increases material handling would be wise. Officially recognized as a "replacement measure" for the safety distance required in VNA environments, ELOprotect sets a new standard. Moreover, any original manufacturer can pre-install ELOprotect in your forklift–taking all the guessing game out of who has the right of way in warehouses. The system is also retrofittable on your existing fleet.

ELOshield forklift pedestrian safety system avoids collisions. It uses ultra-wide-band proximity detection when pedestrians or objects are too close. Pedestrians receive an audible, visual, and vibrational warning. The basic system contains evaluation electronics, two laser scanners, and a display module. In addition, options include automatic speed reduction (ASR). For example, ASR kicks in if the laser scanner is blocked, allowing your workflow to avoid timely system deactivation. And what ELOKON calls “comfort activation/deactivation” to reduce false alarm errors caused by cross-aisle traffic and end-of-aisle walls.

To guarantee pedestrian safety, employers should ensure everyone receives training on working safely around forklifts and other large machinery. This includes forklift operators as well as employees responsible for supervising these machines. In addition to training, employers may want to add safety equipment like forklift horns, warning lights, and travel alarms to increase pedestrian awareness.

Forklift Safety For Pedestrians

Using innovations in lidar, radar, ultra wide-band, and radio frequency identification technologies, forklift pedestrian safety companies help take all of the guessings out of answering how do you use vehicle communications equipment cautiously.

Keep your eyes open when operating a forklift. These heavy machines can challenge control on slippery or rocky surfaces. They also accelerate and turn rapidly; the consequences could be dire if you don't watch pedestrians or other objects. To guarantee the safe operation of a forklift, wear seat belts.

Never ask, “how do you use vehicle communications equipment cautiously,” again. ELOKON develops state-of-the-art systems for forklift safety for pedestrians. Their technologies align with cutting-edge advancements. Forklift telematics devices can be attached to your forklifts so you can receive real-time updates on your fleet. This will allow you to track impact and battery usage, review operator access rights, pre-shift inspections, and more. Fleet management systems can help you identify opportunities to reduce your forklift fleet's total cost of ownership. So, visit our website to get more details on how ELOKON systems provide proximity detection, anti-collision systems, and more.