Forklift Collision Avoidance Systems
Modern warehouses need to juggle high demand, harsh conditions, and random issues daily. These challenges often put employee safety at high risk, especially since working in a warehouse is already hazardous. However, material handling teams no longer need to juggle employee safety–not with the latest developments in forklift collision avoidance systems available.
Amid complicated operations and busy work floors, modern warehouses see complex safety hazards that passive safety systems fail to protect against. Luckily, new developments in tech close safety gaps that material handling teams often face. We’ll explore how new forklift collision avoidance systems mitigate forklift-related accidents and collisions through forklift telematics and anti-collision software. But first, we’ll discuss how improving active forklift pedestrian anti-collision systems benefits the warehouse.
Forklift alert systems change the game when it comes to forklift safety, and at ELOKON, we’re here to usher in the new era of the latest tech in safety.
Benefits of Improving Active Forklift Pedestrian Safety
While active forklift pedestrian safety systems may require an investment, the right forklift collision avoidance systems not only bring many benefits to the warehouse, but they do it cost-efficiently as well. Improving active forklift pedestrian safety offers these advantages:
Saves Lives and Prevents Injuries
Forklift collision avoidance systems save lives and prevent injuries by actively preventing them. ELOKON solutions can be configured to slow or stop the lift truck in the event of risk proximity detection, depending on the solution. Doing so removes the driver’s responsibility to react in time, potentially preventing collisions. Although a driver always needs to be alert and aware of their surroundings, automated safety and driver assistance systems provide an additional layer of assurance that forklift-related collisions can be avoided.
Reduces Damage to Equipment and Property
When your team relies on automated forklift pedestrian safety solutions, it not only avoids employee harm but also damage to equipment and property as well. Forklift accidents can be costly, between legal fees and vehicle and property repairs. Employing automated forklift pedestrian safety systems prevents collisions, reducing damages and associated costs.
Improves Company Morale and Image
Implementing automated forklift collision avoidance systems also improves company morale and image because it demonstrates your team’s commitment to safeguarding its employees. While some companies adhere to minimal safety requirements, your team can go the extra mile in safety with these active forklift pedestrian safety systems. Doing so can very well mean the difference in preventing loss of life. Actively preventing forklift-related accidents reflects well on any team, boosting the opinion of employees and insurance underwriters.
Automated forklift pedestrian safety systems bring a number of benefits to the warehouse. But besides these advantages, how else can these forklift collision avoidance systems improve material handling workplaces? Next, we’ll take a look at how forklift telematics and forklift alert systems solve today’s safety challenges.
Forklift Telematics and Forklift Alert Systems: Solving Safety Challenges
Recent innovations have made forklift telematics and forklift alert systems practical and cost-effective solutions for warehouses around the world. While material-handling work spaces face quite a few employee safety challenges, these systems help teams overcome them. Challenges such as fleet mismanagement or high-traffic areas are no match for modern forklift collision avoidance systems–especially those developed by ELOKON.
1. Fleet Mismanagement
Fleet mismanagement can lead to many issues that could end up fatal. Missed maintenance schedules, unauthorized driver operation, and untracked downtime can decrease productivity and increase the risk of collision throughout the whole warehouse. ELOfleet and ELOfusion are ELOKON solutions for fleet management that employ forklift telematics and real-time data to offer valuable fleet KPIs. ELOfleet and ELOfusion provide high visibility over important fleet metrics that your team can use to improve operations. These ELOKON solutions work with mixed fleets and fleets across different sites, supporting your team regardless of manufacturer and location.
2. Blind Spots
Unfortunately, blind spots are inherent to warehouses and other material-handling workspaces. Tall racks, corners, gates, and even support structures of vehicles themselves cause low visibility that can lead to collisions. However, ELOKON offers ELOshieldGO and ELOshieldDRIVE—two forklift alert systems to detect pedestrians and other vehicles, respectively, to prevent collisions. These systems can sense oncoming pedestrians and vehicles via UWB, even through racks and other structures. The Warning and Protection Zones are configurable, and the system can automatically slow or stop the vehicle when a proximity detection event occurs.
3. High Traffic Areas
High-traffic areas also increase collision risk in the warehouse. Pedestrians, lift trucks, autonomous robots, and vehicles working in the same area create a flurry of activity. Drivers and pedestrians can be distracted, missing collision risks, which can result in an accident. Forklift alert systems like ELOshieldDRIVE, ELOshieldZONE, and ELOvision help mitigate these risks. ELOshieldZONE utilizes UWB for fixed-position speed control. When it senses approaching vehicles, it can automatically reduce their speed as they pass through the monitored aisle entrance, gate, or similar location. ELOvision is our AI-powered pedestrian detection system that uses a camera to identify pedestrians within proximity of the equipped vehicle. ELOvision can reduce the speed of the vehicle upon detection in order to avoid a collision.
4. VNA Navigation
VNAs are critical aspects of the warehouse, but they can be dangerous. With virtually no room to move to avoid collisions, teams should employ forklift collision avoidance systems like ELOprotect and ELOprotect ACS to prevent collisions in VNAs. These ELOKON solutions implement smart laser technology to detect pedestrians (ELOprotect) and other vehicles (ELOprotect ACS) bi-directionally. The ELOprotect system can automatically reduce the speed of a vehicle or bring it to a stop to avoid collision.
5. Speed Control
Lastly, forklift collision avoidance systems can help your team maintain safe speeds in and around the warehouse. Although there are no federal speed limits for lift trucks in warehouses, drivers should operate at safe speeds so they can brake to avoid collisions.
ELOKON solutions utilize forklift telematics, UWB, laser, radar, and now AI to streamline warehouse safety. Our safety systems are adaptable and configurable, ideal for an evolving workplace. From fleet management software to anti-collision tech, ELOKON has your workforce covered.
Find Comprehensive Collision Avoidance at ELOKON
ELOKON solutions are trusted by more than 4,250 clients around the world–each making strides to power the world. While our clients focus on innovating, ELOKON solutions ensure their workplaces remain safe and productive. We design automated safety and driver assistance solutions to protect many different aspects of the modern warehouse. Contact us today to protect your workplace.