Will There Be a Cost to Pay for Slow Adoption of a Forklift Collision Warning System
Forklift collision warning is the difference between life and death. According to the NSC, there were 70 reported fatalities and over 7,200 injuries in 2022. With today’s advancements in forklift safety systems, the number of fatalities and injuries can continue to go down. Some companies are slow to adopt forklift safety systems as they have not had to experience a serious injury or fatality within their facility. And they are very fortunate. But even those with a good safety plan in place can, and eventually will, experience a forklift accident. It’s just a matter of when.
What Does a Forklift Collision Warning Do?
A forklift collision warning is designed to alert the forklift operator when a pedestrian and/or an object crosses over from a safe space to an area that has an increased risk of impact. When the visual warning along with the audio warning sounds, the forklift operator is to take immediate action to avoid the encounter. Why is this important? It’s because 80% of forklift accidents are caused by poor visibility.
Poor Visibility
Here’s a great example as reported by OSHA. A sit-down forklift was delivering goods to a production line. The forklift operator did not know that a stand-up forklift was following close behind. The operator of the sit-down forklift received a message to make a stop on his way to the production line. He parked his forklift next to a few pallets and exited the truck without lowering his forks. The stand-up continued driving too close, less than the required three truck lengths. He didn’t see the operator stop and exit the truck. The stand-up collided with the parked forklift. The sit-down forklift penetrated the operator, and the rest did not go so well.
Collisions of People, Equipment and the Facility
Collisions are more than a forklift with a pedestrian. Collisions can also include other equipment, as in the example above and it can also include the infrastructure, or the facility itself. Collisions with any part of the facility or the equipment within the facility creates weak spots. For instance, if the forklift hits the racking system, the racking system becomes weaker which changes the load capacity it can hold. If the equipment hits another piece of equipment and causes damage, the equipment is taken out of circulation which causes the company productivity, creates customer service issues and loses money. All from one collision.
The Power of a Forklift Collision Warning
The SIERA.AI forklift safety system is all about keeping the forklift operator and its surroundings safe. We understand that the forklift operator cannot ‘see’ around the truck constantly. We know that if the operator is working, the focus must be on the task at hand. With the use of sensors, the sensors take in the information, and the forklift safety system intelligence determines if there is a person or object within its defined safe space. If the operator gets a forklift collision warning and determines it is a person, then the forklift collision warning will present a symbol of a person along with an audio warning sound. If it is an object, the forklift collision warning will present a symbol of an object or box with the audio warning. Now your operator has a new set of eyes watching over when the operator can’t.
Contact us today to learn about forklift collision warnings and how it can help you today. Contact us today at sales@siera.ai or call us at (512) 817 0702.