Jungheinrich’s Product Manager, Robert Skalba, talks about what the company is doing to guarantee safety in the warehouse utilising its advanced safety features.
Forklifts are essential in numerous industries, providing support for lifting and transporting heavy loads. However, their operation comes with inherent risks, and accidents involving forklifts are frequent.
These incidents often lead to severe injuries or even fatalities, making it imperative to adopt advanced safety measures.
THE STARK REALITY OF FORKLIFT INCIDENTS
In 2022, WorkSafe Victoria accepted 142 claims for injuries caused by forklift incidents.
The nature of these incidents varied, with pedestrians being struck by forklifts constituting a significant portion. Additionally, poorly secured loads led to 9 injuries when they fell on workers, and 5 incidents involved forklifts tipping over.
These accidents not only lead to people tragedy, but also effect business reputation and come at a cost. In 2022 alone, the highest fine reached $475,000 AUD, while many other companies were also fined.
Jungheinrich is a leading global intralogistics provider and has been driving the development of innovative, sustainable products and solutions for all aspects of material flow for more than 70 years. For more than 20 years, Jungheinrich’s products have been enabling Australian customers for their business success. With innovation as one of the key values, Jungheinrich has been at the forefront of this endeavour, developing cutting-edge solutions to ensure safer forklift operations.
INCREASING AWARENESS: A CRUCIAL SAFETY MEASURE
One of the primary causes of forklift- related accidents is the lack of awareness among pedestrians about forklifts operating in their vicinity.
To address this issue, all Jungheinrich trucks available in stock are equipped with spotlights that project light on the floor both in front of and behind the forklift.
“This way, pedestrians know that a forklift is approaching and can take the necessary precautions,” says Robert Skalba, Product Manager from Jungheinrich Australia.
Depending on the forklift truck type, other visual warning systems can be used to reduce the number of accidents. For instance, in case of vertical order pickers, warning zone lights extend the area accordingly to picking height. By doing this, even if the operator drops the load from the high altitude, warning zone lights cover the whole dangerous area and inform pedestrians about the risk.
Additionally, each counterbalance forklift is fitted with a sound buzzer, providing an audible alert to anyone nearby.
“The combination of visual and auditory signals ensures that pedestrians are not only able to see but also hear the forklift approaching, significantly reducing the risk of accidents,” explains Robert.
Nowadays, there is a lot of noise pollution. This is why Jungheinrich offers not only the standard warning buzzer, but also the self- adjusting one, providing noise level between 5 and 10 above ambient dB(A). Thanks to this solution, warning signals are always audible regardless of the environment.
ADVANCED SYSTEMS FOR OPERATIONAL SAFETY
Beyond basic visibility enhancements, Jungheinrich has developed sophisticated systems such as OperationCONTROL and CurveCONTROL to further improve forklift safety.
“One reason accidents happen is related to overloading the truck,” says RobertOperationCONTROL is designed to prevent such incidents.
“OperationCONTROL weighs the load and compares it with the capacity plate data to ensure the forklift can
lift it safely at the desired height,”
says Robert.
“If the load exceeds the forklift’s capacity, the system issues a warning on the display and, depending on the model, may also sound an alert to prevent tipping.
“CurveCONTROL slows down the forklift when navigating curves based on the wheel angle, reducing the risk of tipping over.” More advanced version of this system also takes the weight of the load into consideration and adjusts the speed of the truck accordingly.
These systems work together to ensure forklifts operate within safe parameters, thereby minimising the likelihood of accidents.
A CALL FOR ACTION: PRIORITISING FORKLIFT SAFETY
“Even a slow-moving forklift can injure or kill, yet too many employers are still failing to implement traffic management plans that separate forklifts from pedestrians with physical barriers, pedestrian exclusion zones, traffic lights, and signage,” says WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety, Dr Narelle Beer.1
She adds that safe practices such as wearing correctly fitted seatbelts, using reversing cameras, adhering to load capacities, and ensuring that only licensed workers operate forklifts can mitigate risks.
BEST PRACTICES FOR FORKLIFT SAFETY
- To enhance forklift safety, employers should implement several key measures:
- Comprehensive training and induction. Ensure workers receive appropriate training including the operation of each truck and any attachments, induction and maintaining a register of such training.
- Traffic management plans. Develop and regularly update traffic management plans to separate pedestrians and forklifts.
- Effective communication systems. Establish robust communication systems between operators, transport contractors, and ground staff.
- Signage and barriers. Erect clear signage and physical barriers where necessary to guide pedestrian and forklift traffic.
- Pre-operating checks, regular inspections and maintenance. Conduct regular inspections and maintenance of machinery and vehicles by qualified personnel.
- In the event of a fault or the forklift becomes unsafe, report and tag ‘out of service’ and isolate.
Jungheinrich trucks are equipped with spotlights that project light on the floor both in front of and behind the forklift.
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS ENHANCING SAFETY
Advancements in technology offer additional layers of safety for forklift operations. Jungheinrich’s several key innovations include:
- Spotlights and audible alarms. Forklifts equipped with spotlights project light on the floor, alerting pedestrians of the forklift’s presence. Audible alarms further enhance awareness.
- OperationCONTROL Systems. These systems weigh loads and check capacity plates to prevent overloading. For example, if a forklift rated to lift two tonne up to three metres attempts to lift the same weight above this height, the system issues a warning and, depending on the model, an audible alert.
- CurveCONTROL Systems. These systems automatically adjust the forklift’s speed when navigating curves, reducing the risk of tipping over.
- Pedestrian Detection Systems. AI-supported cameras detect pedestrians and can slow down or even stop the forklift if someone is too close, preventing accidents.
More than 140 workers injured in forklift incidents last year – January 31 2023.
For more information, visit Jungheinrich Australia.