Warehouse safety requires planning, training, and effective technology. Here’s Linde Material Handling’s offering in the safety space.
Across Australia, forklifts and other material handling equipment (MHE) are the workhorses of supply chains. They keep goods moving, orders fulfilled and warehouses running smoothly. But with all that productivity comes risk. Forklifts remain one of the biggest causes of serious workplace injuries – often in busy warehouse environments where people and machines share the same space.
The message from safety regulators and equipment providers is consistent: most of these accidents don’t have to happen. By thinking about safety from the ground up – from the choice of equipment and warehouse layout to how operators are trained and how teams work day to day – businesses can cut down incidents and make sure their people go home safe.
Warehouse activity is rarely steady. High-traffic times – from peak trading periods to the surge of e-commerce fulfilment – increase pressure on both operators and equipment. Congested aisles, tighter schedules, and faster vehicle movements raise the likelihood for human error.
Planning for busy periods is central to any good safety strategy. Simple measures like clear traffic routes, marked pedestrian zones, and physical barriers or signage can go a long way in keeping people and machines apart. On top of that, technology can provide an extra safeguard – tools such as motion sensors, reversing alerts, and better lighting help operators stay aware and avoid mistakes when the pressure is on.
As Linde MH’s Unrivalled Safety e-guide puts it: “Separation isn’t just a layout decision – it’s a business-critical safety strategy.”
Staying alert in dynamic environments
Even the best safety systems can’t replace awareness on the ground. Forklift operators work in fast-moving, constantly changing spaces, where blind spots, tall racking, and shared walkways make staying alert essential.
Data from SafeWork NSW and WorkSafe Victoria shows that pedestrians are the group most often injured in forklift incidents. That’s why safety training can’t stop with operators. Everyone who shares the warehouse floor – from pickers to supervisors – needs to understand pedestrian zones, floor markings, and the risks of stepping into shared operating areas.
Building awareness into daily briefings and reinforcing it during peak times helps create a culture where safety stays front of mind and training isn’t just about getting a forklift licence. Operators need regular refreshers that cover new technologies, updated layouts, and different load types to keep their skills sharp and their workplaces safe.
The e-guide stresses that “comprehensive training – both theoretical and practical – is non-negotiable”. Regular refreshers ensure that operators remain confident in using features like interlocking seatbelts, speed-limiting functions, and energy management systems. Importantly, training should cover not only machine operation but also awareness of high-risk areas such as blind intersections, rack aisles, and loading docks.
Technology as a safeguard
While human vigilance is critical, technology plays a powerful role in reducing risk. Linde Material Handling’s approach, influenced by its “Vision Zero” philosophy, is to eliminate workplace incidents through built-in safety features.
Key technologies include:
Visibility systems such as Linde VertiLight and LED Stripes, which illuminate work areas evenly without glare. Linde BlueSpot and TruckSpot project visual warnings onto the floor, alerting pedestrians to moving forklifts, while stationary projectors mark thoroughfares.
Operator warning systems like Linde Safety Guard, which uses transmitters to create proximity alerts between forklifts, personnel, and infrastructure. Surround View provides 360-degree camera coverage, while Linde Reverse Assist Radar and AI-powered cameras detect pedestrians and obstacles when reversing.
Load handling safety through Dynamic Mast Control, Linde Curve Assist, and Linde Safety Pilot, which monitor stability and automatically adjust performance to prevent tipping or rack collisions.
These features combine to protect both operators and pedestrians, particularly during high-demand operating periods when focus can waver. Another often-overlooked risk area is refuelling and recharging. According to the guide, these routine tasks are “among the most hazardous aspects of forklift operation”.
For diesel and LPG forklifts, refuelling must occur in ventilated, ignition-free zones, with safe manual handling practices for heavy cylinders. For electric fleets, lead-acid batteries require full charging cycles and specialist handling, while lithium-ion options offer safer “opportunity charging” during short breaks.
Embedding these practices into daily routines not only keeps teams safe but also extends the life of fleets and reduces downtime.
Warehouse design plays as critical a role in safety as equipment choice. Layouts that physically separate people and machines – through barriers, exclusion zones, and dedicated pedestrian walkways – reduce collisions and improve flow.
But design alone is insufficient. As the Linde Material Handling guide highlights, “even the best layout is only as effective as the team using it”. Training, signage, and reinforcement of traffic rules ensure layouts function as intended.
Beyond compliance
Australia’s material handling safety standards, such as AS 2359, set important minimum requirements. These standards cover rated load capacities, braking systems, and seatbelt interlocks. Yet compliance alone does not guarantee safety.
Industry leaders like Linde exceed these requirements, introducing speed limitation when masts are raised, ergonomic compartments to reduce fatigue, and noise-minimising designs to improve operator comfort. The aim is to create controlled, low-risk environments that go beyond ticking regulatory boxes.
As Allan Spackman, Technical Manager for Warehousing at Linde Material Handling, explains: “All Linde counterbalance machines have seatbelts fitted and interlocks to prevent operation without the seatbelt being fitted properly.”
The consistent message across the Unrivalled Safety e-guide is that technology and training are only effective when embedded in a broader safety culture. From operators to pedestrians, from warehouse managers to senior leaders, everyone shares responsibility for ensuring colleagues go home safely.
“Chemist Warehouse wouldn’t have been able to grow like we’ve been able to without the shared vision towards continuous improvement of trusted partners like Linde,” says David Brennan, GM of Supply Chain at Chemist Warehouse.
Similarly, Bruce Hansen, National Fleet Manager at Fonterra, highlights Linde’s “focus on safety” as a deciding factor in equipment choice.
For businesses across logistics and warehousing, that vision is an important reminder this National Work Safe Month: safety isn’t a checkbox. It’s an ongoing commitment.
“We’ve tried other brands, but Linde consistently proves to be the best,” says Bruce. “Their reliability, performance, the ergonomics and their focus on safety are unmatched. It’s a no-brainer for us.”
.png){kind=small}
