Pedestrian Alert Systems for Your Forklift

by Phil Hanford, on August 23, 2023 at 12:00 PM

Why Your Material Handling Business Needs a Pedestrian Alert SystemWarehouse pedestrian safety is a major concern for any business operating with forklifts. While proper training of operators and pedestrians can help reduce risks, some safety managers want more peace of mind. Adding an aftermarket pedestrian alert system to your equipment can help reduce risks further. Here’s what you need to know about these add-ons and how they can help your business.

Reduce Risks Overall 

When it comes to forklift safety equipment, all solutions are not created equal. While features such as popular blue lights, red warning lights, and backup alarms are helpful, they primarily warn pedestrians, not operators. Other solutions, such as Blaxtair’s Pedestrian Alert System, notify operators of potential collisions. Using 3D cameras mounted on the forklift that feed video into the cabin, operators receive visual alerts of pedestrians at risk of collisions. Other systems, such as the Toyota SEnS, combine visual and audible alerts to maximize operator awareness. Combined with other solutions, a pedestrian alert system can help reduce overall risks to pedestrians. 

Increased Training Opportunities 

It may sound like something from varsity football, but reviewing safety tapes are a great added value for training both your operators and your other workers. In addition to showing pedestrians how they could have potentially been injured due to their errors, the tapes can help with your workspace optimization. Repeated issues or close calls in one space may be a sign that you need to add mirrors or even reroute forklifts by reconfiguring your warehouse. The tapes can also assist regular safety audits to ensure your workers are complying with safety measures. 

Consider a complete safety management solution if you want to maximize training and communication opportunities. GemOne’s Sapphire is one such system that provides all the benefits of a traditional Pedestrian Alert System with the added benefits of advanced telematics, battery management software, and instant operator communication.

Cost Effective Safety Solutions

Blaxtair’s system, Toyota’s SEnS, and GemOne’s Sapphire pedestrian alert systems are all very affordable compared to the cost of a severe injury or preventable accident. They are also simpler and more cost-effective than rerouting the pedestrian walkways in your warehouse or taking other extreme measures to keep forklifts and pedestrians entirely separated. While it’s not a single solution for a complex problem, these innovative tools can help dramatically improve your existing culture of safety. 

Wondering if a pedestrian alert system is right for your forklift fleet? Talk to the team of dedicated pros at MidColumbia Forklift and MidCo Material Handling. We’ll take the time to fully understand your business, fleet, and unique challenges to make sure we find the right solutions for you.  Contact us online or by phone at one of our local branches in Washington state:

Auburn 253-854-5438
Pasco 509-547-7413
Wenatchee 509-663-9009
Yakima 509-457-5137 

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Topics:Forklift PartsForklift SafetyWarehouse Planning

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Material handling articles to help answer the questions you have about forklifts, aerial equipment, utility vehicles, warehouse optimization, and safety.

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