We all know that a collision between a forklift and a pedestrian can result in a devastating injury or even death. But lets face it, sometimes people need to work in the same areas that forklifts are operating. When that occurs, the ability to physically separate the two using barriers from Boplan is ideal. But what do you do when you cannot physically separate pedestrians from forklifts, or other moving hazards? Well there are both high tech and low tech solutions to help reduce these risks.
High tech solutions like Claitec’s Pedestrian Alert System requires pedestrians to wear RFID tags which alert the forklift driver when a pedestrian is within a distance of 3 to 20 feet. This system can work great, and effectively reduce risks. However, some companies can’t afford these systems and prefer something more affordable, and more simple, ie. low tech.
Since forklifts make very little operational noise they can be difficult to hear when they are near. In addition, they are often operating in generally noisy environments where hearing protection is sometimes worn or noise drowns out the sound of a forklift. So instead, operators are instructed to toot their horn when changing direction or approaching intersections. This of course requires the operator to actually do that, and it requires a pedestrian to hear it, process it, and take appropriate action assuming he or she does not dismiss it because they have already heard it 87 times during the shift. This just leaves too many opportunities for something to go terribly wrong.
So in order to protect pedestrians from forklifts, the pedestrian must be able to see the forklift. Or do they? What if pedestrians could see an indication that a forklift was approaching or was nearby even if they could not see or hear the forklift itself, thereby getting advanced warning. In comes our low tech risk reduction solution. Safety Lights for your forklift, colored blue in the front and rear, and red along the sides, safety lights are an ideal, low tech, low cost solution that greatly reduces the likelihood of a collision between forklifts and pedestrians.
The blue light casts an easy to see large blue spot on the floor ahead of the forklift whether it’s moving forward or backwards. And since we know that forklifts have a wicked turning radius, we must prevent pedestrians from getting too close to the sides of forklifts. We do that with a red light that illuminates a bright red line marking a safe distance from the side. This enables pedestrians to pass by safely, or communicate with the driver while maintaining a safe distance.
Safety Lights can effectively reduce the risk of a collision between forklifts and pedestrians saving limbs and lives and reducing operating costs. In fact safety lights can be used on just about any type of vehicle or moving objects to alert nearby workers of approaching danger. Contact Bulwark Safety Systems for more information on safety lights, or to get a quote from several available options. Email safety@807b6827-0714-4edf-8865-42abc476289c.fs02.conves.io or call 971-330-8357.
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