In Forklift Safety, Is a Warning System a SAFETY System?
In the modern world of automated safety, companies have many different options when deciding on what tech to implement to protect their workforce. There are powerful solutions to preventing forklift-related accidents, and each offers unique benefits to prevent forklift-related collisions in the warehouse. Two of these solutions are warning and safety systems. But what are the subtle differences between them, and how would these differences matter in the context of detecting and preventing collisions in material handling?
Recent developments in automated safety focus on active safety systems– systems that don’t rely on employee action to prevent forklift accidents. Some active safety systems rely on audible warnings, whereas others can proactively slow vehicles down, in addition to sounding alarms, in order to stop a collision from happening. So, in forklift safety, is a warning system a safety system?
Here, we’ll explore both warning systems and safety systems, as well as how to protect your warehouse and workforce with automated safety and driver assistance systems. Understanding how active safety systems work and how to properly implement them can make or break a company’s productivity and logistics.
Warning Systems vs. Safety Systems
Warning and safety systems have key differences. Both warning systems and safety-rated systems are essential but fulfill distinct roles:
Safety-rated systems are certified to meet rigorous performance levels, autonomously stopping forklifts to prevent accidents. They're mandatory in specific high-risk applications ( e.g., very narrow aisle warehouses in Germany). Efficient and proactive safety systems are built to anticipate possible collisions and prevent collisions from happening by stopping or slowing down the vehicle at risk.
Warning systems take a different approach. They provide intelligent assistance through collision avoidance, proximity detection, and speed control. Still, the risk assessment remains with the truck operators and pedestrians (e.g., wearing badges that vibrate when trucks come too close).
While they're not equivalent to safety-rated systems for critical applications, modern warning systems offer unique advantages:
Sensor Fusion Technology: Multiple sensors work together like extra sets of eyes. If visibility is poor, radar takes over. AI camera solutions work with UWB to improve pedestrian detection solutions for forklift safety. The integration of AI-powered camera solutions helps drivers differentiate between unmoving objects, pedestrians, and other vehicles on the work floor. The UWB tech measures the distance between the vehicle and objects, pedestrians, and vehicles that might pose a collision risk and alerts the driver in the event of proximity detection. The combination of AI camera solutions and UWB technology creates a comprehensive approach to proximity detection and collision avoidance.
Smart Learning: These systems get smarter with every shift, improving accuracy and reducing false alerts through real operational data. They also enhance predictive analytics of such solutions. As team safety and productivity increase, the warning safety system itself improves, starting a beneficial cycle of enhanced safety measures.
Human-First Design: Think of it as an intelligent co-pilot that enhances operator judgment rather than replacing it. While human error is inherent, we can implement technology to prevent gaps in safety. Trusting in your employees is an important part of business, and warning systems with human-first designs can further increase confidence in the safety of your team. This kind of technology adds another layer of safety to the work floor, granting employees additional assurance.
Quick Evolution: While traditional systems remain static, warning systems rapidly adopt new technology. Your safety solution grows as fast as your operations. The right warning systems for your fleet and warehouse are OEM agnostic and can protect mixed fleets, illustrating the adaptability of the warning systems to your processes and equipment. This is particularly important as your workflows and technology change over time.
Cost-Effective Protection: Get comprehensive facility coverage at a fraction of traditional system costs. When your team implements a number of warning systems to close gaps in safety, your business is mitigating collision risk, ultimately preventing expenditures associated with accidents.
Warning systems offer these advantages to improve safety in material handling. At ELOKON Group, we believe that warning systems, through sensor data fusion (several sensor solutions working together), represent the future of warehouse safety due to the redundancy of multiple sensors. The combination of different sensing technologies makes material handling and warehouses safer, as more collision risks can be quickly identified and accidents avoided.
Several such solutions will eventually also be able to become safety-rated, as our VNA product solution ELOprotect is today.
As sensor fusion technology advances, these systems become increasingly failsafe while remaining more adaptable and economical than traditional solutions. Such warning systems can continuously monitor the working area, ready to sound audible and visual alarms upon detecting possible collision hazards. At ELOKON, our solution, ELOprotect, reduces the chance of forklift-related accidents in VNAs in warehouses across the globe.
Find Cutting-Edge Safety Tech at ELOKON
Our engineering experts at ELOKON are committed to applying recent advancements in wireless technology to material handling. While more sites are added to a warehouse network and operations evolve, so do our safety systems to meet your team’s safety needs. Contact us today to learn more about our solutions and how they can transform safety in your company.