5 tips to prevent lift-truck collision injuries.

In 2015, Al Schulz, an employee at a home improvement retail company in the United States, was fatally injured when a forklift backed up into him. He spent four months in physical therapy, sustained ongoing pain, and suffered a disability.

But this is not an unfamiliar story. Infact, forklift accidents account for 85 fatal accidents annually and 1 in 6 workplace deaths, while pallet jacks caused 56 major injuries from 2002 to 2016.

While these accidents happen when workers work near lift truck operation areas, lack of visibility and training, negligence, and faulty machinery increase the risk of vehicle collisions.

This article covers five tips for preventing vehicle collision accidents with safety training, protective equipment, and AI technology.

1. Provide safety training for lift-truck operators

It might seem rhetorical, but effective operator training is the most crucial step for preventing heavy-duty vehicle collision accidents in the workplace. Aside from the ability to follow machine guidelines and rules, a properly trained operator will also learn to account for visibility restrictions.

This is important because lack of visibility or blocked sight is among the top causes of forklift collision in logistics. And most of the time, the lack of visibility is caused by negligence or drug abuse. In the case of Al Shulz, above three factors caused the lack of visibility that led to the injury:

• The operator had his hoodie up
• The operator had his earbud on
• The operator was loaded on 420 and refused to take a drug test.

These factors caused the operator to lose awareness of his immediate environment, resulting in a fatal injury.

2. Provide safety training and protective equipment to pedestrians working near lift trucks

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), nearly 20% of forklift accidents involve pedestrians, and 36% of forklift-related deaths are pedestrians.

Many accidents involving lift trucks result from a person or object being accidentally detected by the lift truck.

Hence, employees working near lift trucks must practice basic safety guidelines to prevent injuries and fines. A trained employee is more comfortable with the lift truck and is less likely to distract the operator.

Providing reflective vests and stickers is one way to ensure an employee would not distract the operator. There are many reflective vests and stickers, including those with reflective tape, reflectors, and even diamond plate patches.

These products have increased visibility and are a relatively inexpensive safety solution.

In addition, ensure that pedestrians are constantly attentive to their surroundings by posting warning signs and caution lights at strategic angles.

3. Decongest aisles and keep shoppers away from proximate areas

Most accidents during lift truck operations are caused by lift truck operators running into shoppers standing in the working area while navigating the floor. Therefore, it is essential to manage the flow of foot traffic among the storage racks so that shoppers can easily walk around the working areas.

• Illuminate areas with pedestrian traffic; otherwise, they may not be seen by lift truck operators.
• Build a wall around the lift truck operation area.
• Create aisles, so the traffic is channeled through defined areas.
• Cover blind spots with mirrors mounted on the ceiling to allow operators to see areas they could not see before.
• Scatter merchandise around the store to force buyers to walk through other areas. Ensure that customers do not walk near lift trucks or work areas.
• If you have a multi-level store, ensure that customers do not use stairways or escalators while lift trucks are operating.

4. Operate well maintained lift-trucks

Poor lift truck maintenance can create a situation where the lift truck runs smoothly and appears to be checked frequently, but mechanical faults are not visible to the operator.

The truck can develop a sudden mechanical fault, typically due to hydraulic pressure, brake issues, and damaged tires. The faults are usually caused by wear and tear, age, and maintenance but can also be due to improper care by the operator, causing the operator to lose control.

Proper lift truck maintenance must be performed at all times. The trucks can also be fitted with various attachments and customized to perform a wide range of safety functions.

5. Use AI technology to prevent a collision before it happens

Logistics and supply chain facilities use many different types of artificial intelligence to improve safety and efficiency.

The jamming detection algorithms are used in some materials handling equipment, such as conveyors, to detect when a primary part is out of alignment and prevent accidents.

AI can also be used to improve safety by monitoring maintenance records and identifying equipment that should be serviced.

However, the technology is most effective in predictive/proactive monitoring of supply chain and retail facilities.

Essentially, the solution uses advanced image recognition algorithms to spot hazardous material and dangerous situations and alert operators quickly.

To prevent vehicle collision, engineers will install the software on CCTV cameras in a warehouse, shopping area, logistics, etc. The camera actively detects pedestrians in the lift truck area, calculates distance and velocity, and warns drivers of an impending collision.