Breaking Down Safety Silos: Integrating AI, UWB, and LiDAR for Holistic Protection
Safety silos are a significant issue in the material handling industry, causing a great deal of confusion when it comes to safety responsibility. Management may believe it is the responsibility of the employees to maintain safety standards, while the employees believe it is the responsibility of management.
The reality is that safety silos do not benefit anyone and only result in outdated safety practices. Workplace safety is a team effort, and everybody has a part to play when it comes to their safety as well as the safety of others.
In this post, we will be discussing how to break down safety silos in the material handling industry. We will dive into the different safety solutions available, such as operator and equipment optimization, periodic maintenance and reporting systems, and PIT access control systems. We will also discuss how ELOKON is helping material handling companies bridge the gap in workplace safety with innovative safety solutions.
PIT Access Control Systems
At ELOKON, we provide a vast array of advanced technology to improve efficiency and safety in material handling workplaces. This includes solutions like AI, UWB, and LiDAR for better holistic protection.
One of the essential technologies we provide is PIT access control systems which improve workplace security and safety. Access control systems ensure only employees are able to access and use machinery so that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. This also helps to guarantee that only employees who are trained to run those pieces of machinery have access to them.
Access control is a standard safety feature most of our systems provide at ELOKON.
Periodic Maintenance and Reporting Systems
Another aspect of improving workplace safety and efficiency is the use of periodic maintenance and reporting systems. These are different aspects of running a successful warehouse that are more important than they may seem on the surface.
You should have systems in place that are able to notify you of periodic maintenance needs so that machinery is cared for. Not only does this help to reduce the risk of costly repairs, but it also ensures machinery is running the way it should, which improves safety.
Reporting systems are also important for understanding how the machinery is running, if there are any risks, or areas for improvement. At ELOKON, our ELOfusion all-in-one forklift safety system provides these additional features as well as many other features you may find useful, such as:
- Truck-to-truck collision avoidance
- Proximity detection
- On-body pedestrian warnings
- Near miss analytics
- Customizable OSHA pre-operational checklists
Operator and Equipment Optimization
Aside from the specific safety systems you should have in place for your warehouse, there are additional features that can come in handy. For instance, it is often a better investment to invest in systems that provide operator and equipment optimization and customization. This provides flexibility, allowing you to better meet the needs of your warehouse.
Some examples of optimization and customization options to look for include:
- Automatic stopping technology
- Automatic slowing technology
- Proximity alerts for drivers
- Proximity alerts for pedestrians
- Access control via smartphone
- Customizable safety checklist
- Bluetooth vehicle sensor integration
- Forklift model compatibility
- KPI dashboards
At ELOKON, our app-centric fleet management system, ELOfleet Smart, provides many of these customizable features.
Tips For Overall Workplace Safety
Integrating safety features such as AI, collision avoidance, detection systems, UWB, and LiDAR are all essential for improved workplace safety. However, this is a multifaceted aspect of running a warehouse so your strategy should be made up of many different safety solutions.
An example of this is having both active and passive safety strategies in place that everybody is a part of. By doing this, you can improve how your warehouse runs while reducing the risk of most accidents. This will also help you to encourage personal responsibility in each employee when it comes to workplace safety.
Here are a few tips for how you can improve overall workplace safety besides establishing automated safety systems.
Train Employees
Even if you have many automatic safety systems in place to help break down safety silos, you still need to provide adequate training. Not only is this required for material handling companies, but it is also essential for ensuring your employees are knowledgeable and confident when using machinery.
All new employees need to go through basic training, especially if they are running any type of machinery, such as a forklift. You should also be prepared to provide continued training as your safety standards improve over time, or you upgrade to new systems or new pieces of equipment.
Have a Safety Culture
Do you want to improve overall workplace safety within your warehouses? If so, having a safety culture is absolutely essential. Safety cultures help to break down safety silos, making sure everybody gets involved in improving workplace safety.
The backbone of a safety culture often involves open communication and encouraging employees to voice concerns or recommendations. Not only does this improve employee morale, it will help you to identify potential risks much faster before they lead to actual issues.
Have Safety Procedures
Aside from employee training, safety features, and a culture of safety, you also need to have established safety procedures. These are procedures that all employees need to follow on a day-to-day basis to avoid common warehouse accidents.
These safety procedures and standards may include things like wearing protective gear and the right type of clothing. It may also include going through a safety checklist each day, inspecting machinery before using it, and clearly identifying high risk areas before getting to work.
Clear safety procedures help to give employees confidence and can help eliminate the majority of preventable accidents.
Discover Safety Solutions With ELOKON
The material handling industry is no place for safety silos, especially when there are so many safety solutions available. Everyone has a part to play when it comes to maintaining and improving workplace safety, which is where ELOKON can come in handy. At ELOKON, we provide cutting-edge technologies that automate many workplace safety standards, reducing the risk of human error.
Contact our team today at ELOKON to learn more about the safety solutions we provide and how they can be customized.