Logistics Safety Systems
Warehouses play a huge role in logistics and the transport industry, facilitating the movement of material goods and supplies as well as providing storage. If materials are not moved in a safe manner, employee safety can be compromised, productivity will lag, and costs will increase. Making warehouse safety the cornerstone of the work environment is paramount to running a successful warehouse that moves products in a timely manner while prioritizing the physical safety of workers. At ELOKON, we believe that smooth logistics start with customized safety plans using our cutting-edge technology and the world’s first cloud-based management application.
In this article, we will cover the importance of improving warehouse safety, how to emphasize health and safety in logistics, curtail common warehouse hazards, and how implementing customized safety measures will help streamline your business.
Risks to Warehouse Safety
With warehouse injury rates more than tripling over the last handful of years, it is imperative that companies invest in health and safety in logistics now more than ever. Injuries and accidents leave workers vulnerable to serious bodily harm. Every time a job site injury occurs, it’s not only bad for morale but has a significant impact on the day-to-day operations. It is understandable for companies to strive for speed and high output, but the first step to maximizing production must be the implementation of logistics safety systems. Whether you are operating a warehouse, distribution center, retail store, or factory, ELOKON can help you create a tailor-made safety plan. Some common warehouse hazard areas ELOKON can help you improve are the following:
- Powered Industrial Trucks: Forklifts are essential to warehouse productivity but should only be operated by certified drivers and should be carefully inspected and maintained.
- Loading Docks: The high-traffic nature of loading docks made them particularly accident-prone. They should be outfitted with warning signs, speed limits, and mechanisms to keep unauthorized pedestrians away.
- Narrow Aisles: Aisles are understandably narrow to capitalize on storage space, but the limited space can make it difficult for trucks and pedestrians to navigate safely.
- Refueling Stations: Whether your forklift fleet uses fuel or battery-operated trucks, the chemicals are highly flammable and dangerous. Fire extinguishers should be nearby, and smoking near the fuel stations should be absolutely prohibited at all times.
- Material Moving: Be it by truck or manual labor, moving materials can be dangerous. The risk of falling material, collisions with trucks, or physical injury increases when the material is being moved.
Compliance with OSHA’s standards for warehouse safety will ensure your workplace is up to speed with the latest safety protocols. Failing to meet OSHA’s standards can lead to hefty fines and potentially even lawsuits that can greatly impact your business’s budget. Personal injuries are devastating to the individuals who suffer them but also affect the entire warehouse as production halts to cater to the incident. Abiding by OSHA’s safety standards is not only good for business, but more importantly, it is essential to ensure the health and safety of your workers.
How ELOKON Can Improve Warehouse Safety
At ELOKON, we believe in a collaborative approach to safety implementation. When we show up at your job site, our expert team members can analyze your equipment and unique workplace to recommend one or all of our innovative safety devices. Our relationship does not end after installation, either. We thoroughly train your employees on the new devices and how they benefit your existing equipment. Follow-up training can be provided as needed, and we are always available to assist with repairs, replacement parts, and customer support.
Let’s dive into four of ELOKON’S safety solution products and how each one can improve your warehouse logistics:
ELOprotect: VNA Pedestrian Safety System
Warehouse aisles are understandably narrow to maximize product storage, but these space-saving efforts can make it difficult for pedestrians to navigate around heavy moving machinery safely. Our ELOprotect fork truck safety device system does not use cameras, which can be unreliable, but supremely accurate laser scanners that are installed in the load or drive side of the truck and can detect pedestrians, vehicles, and other obstacles.
The ELOprotect fork truck safety feature automatically turns on when the truck enters a narrow aisle. If the scanners sense a person or other obstacle in its range, visual and auditory signals are activated, and the vehicle is brought to a slow and controlled stop. When the dangerous situation has been resolved, the fork truck driver can reset the system with a push of a button, which both records the incident and lets the driver resume normal operation. Even when the vehicle is idle, the ELOprotect safety feature is still active, monitoring both directions of travel to keep tabs on any approaching pedestrians. These features allow for two fork trucks to operate in a single aisle at one time and handle material more efficiently.
ELOprotectPRO
For even better protection, ELOKON has an elevated version of ELOprotect called ELOprotectPRO. While the original ELOprotect safety system can detect people and obstacles up to seven meters, ELOprotectPRO’s advanced lasers can detect up to nine meters or 30 feet. The upgraded scanner is designed to be dust-resistant, making it the optimal choice for active job sites or warehouses with a lot of debris in the air. Having detection for an extra two meters allows the machinery to be operated at a greater speed, which increases productivity without compromising safety.
ELOshield: Proximity Protection System
While ELOprotect is specifically designed to safely navigate narrow aisles, ELOshield is an OEM-independent detection system that helps prevent collisions. The mobile version can be installed as a fork truck safety feature or affixed to robots, cobots, automated guided vehicles, forklifts, or other types of industrial vehicles. A stationary version can be placed at common accident-prone areas, such as high-traffic intersections and the ends of aisles. The ELOshield safety feature is highly customizable, allowing the user to adjust the shape and size of the “warning” and “protection” zones. The shapes can be circular, square, rectangular, or even made into an asymmetric polygon to provide 360-degree protection. Its detection range can reach up to 80 feet, and its ultra-wideband sensors can not only detect multiple pedestrians in an area but even sense them through building materials. When the system encounters an obstacle of any kind, a variety of customizable sensory alarms are triggered. Installation is simple, as the ELOshield can attach to any make, model, or year of forklift.
The ELOshield system has four variations:
- ELOshieldGO- Protection for pedestrians from trucks
- ELOshieldDRIVE- Collision warning system between trucks
- ELOshieldZONE- Monitoring of a fixed high-traffic area
- ELOshieldSPEED- Speed control of trucks in high-production areas
ELOspeed: In/Outdoor Speed Control
A key aspect of fork truck safety features is speed logistic control. Different environments require the machinery to be operated at different speeds. Generally, fork trucks may be used at their top speeds outdoors and should be used at more moderate speeds indoors. Just moving between indoor and outdoor spaces alone poses collision and personnel safety risks because of this speed discrepancy. Our ELOspeed safety system takes the guesswork out of proper speed management with a special radar that detects what is directly above the forklift. If the radar detects a ceiling, it will slow the machinery down to a predetermined speed limit that can be customized to suit your working environment. If the radar detects the sky above the forklift, it removes the speed limits and lets the machine run at maximum capacity. The system has eight pre-programmed detection settings with various reaction times to prevent false alarms if your workplace has multiple buildings on site. Like most ELOKON safety systems, ELOspeed can be attached to any truck, and the radar has a detection distance of up to 80 feet.
ELOfleet: Fleet Management System
ELOKON’s cloud-based fork truck security system streamlines everything from the logistics to the maintenance of the trucks on your job site. The ELOfleet Smart app is a cost-effective and approachable platform where you can create safety checklists, access performance data, and access control. All drivers have to do is log in with their RFID card or personal PIN. They can then go on to complete a fully customizable safety checklist before starting work, report incidents in real time, monitor vehicle maintenance, and record each truck’s utilization.