The Latest Warehouse Safety Tech to Prevent Pedestrian Injuries | Apex Safety Spotlight
Tech Delivers Convenient and Effective Warehouse Safety for Pedestrians
Warehouse safety is a top concern for facility managers across the supply chain. The tight labor market has led to an inconsistent workforce, while unrelenting demand requires faster turn rates. The result? Warehouse worker injury rates are among the highest of any profession –approximately 5.1 per 100 full-time workers. Deploying better training and safety enhancement products is an excellent strategy to combat the current safety challenges.
Let’s shine a light on some easy-to-deploy tech solutions that can help insulate your operation from these alarming statistics and save you money in the long run.
Pedestrian-Focused Warehouse Safety Tech
- Pedestrian Warning Systems
- Overhead-Mounted Safety Signals
- Pedestrian Detection Cameras
- Electronic Gates
Pedestrian Safety Products
Pedestrian Warning Systems
The NSC (National Safety Council) reports that there are over 8,000 forklift accidents on average per year. Not all involve pedestrians; however, the risk of man vs. machine is genuine and, most importantly, AVOIDABLE with the right tools and training.
Tech products can create a digital barrier between moving vehicles and workers in the area. By deploying a warning system that alerts drivers and pedestrians, you significantly improve the odds of preventing an accident. For example, you can pair a wall-mounted control unit with a wearable electronic tag and a vehicle unit. When the forklift and pedestrian are too close, it will trigger warnings such as audible (alarms) and visual alerts (flashing lights). You set the safe distance areas between 1.5’ and 25’ depending on your facility layout.
Tech solutions are also available with a push-button on the electronic tag that pedestrians can activate if they witness a forklift coming near an unsuspecting person or hazard. Some forklifts can even be programmed to slow the vehicle automatically. These systems are beneficial in high-traffic and poor visibility areas.
Additionally, you can take warehouse safety up a notch with vehicle-to-vehicle proximity alerts.
These products warn operators when multiple vehicles are heading on the same trajectory. Again, you have control to set the alert when vehicles are between 16’ to over 60’ –whatever makes the most sense for your facility layout and traffic levels. Your loading dock may be a focus area for this technology.
Overhead-Mounted Safety Signals
Thinking of the Bat Signal in reverse, projectors mounted above aisleways and corridors act as a traffic light to keep everything safely moving in your facility. The alert system works in two-, three- or four-way traffic pattern areas, and you can choose the type of alert you want to project onto the floor.
Safety Signal Options
- LED light beams
- Image or word projections
- LED walkway lines
- Forklift and pedestrian signs – STOP, speed limit
The safety zone is adjustable so you can set safe proximity for vehicles and people in distinct areas in your facility.
Pedestrian Detection Cameras
Cameras mounted on the forklift alert drivers with a visible and audible warning to prevent warehouse accidents. Cameras mount easily to the vehicle dash and or the rear of the vehicle to capture forward and backup hazards. The cameras install easily and project high-resolution images to the driver.
Electronic Gates
Self-closing gates are easy to install and provide a suitable barrier in most instances. However, you can take it up a notch with wearable access tags that use electromagnetic signals to unlock gated areas and allow pedestrians to walk through safely. Gates open as pedestrians reach a programmable gate area and relock once they are through. These gates are ideal for restricted spaces and those where monitoring access is important.
Your warehouse or manufacturing facility is like a mini-city—lots of bustling activity, with vehicles and pedestrians sharing a confined space. It’s good business to protect your team, equipment, and operation. The Apex team can help you find the solutions that will help you achieve your warehouse safety goals.
Apex — Full-Service Support for all things Warehouse Safety
Apex Companies is a family of business units that work seamlessly to deliver full-service support to industrial customers in the warehousing, manufacturing, and distribution sectors. We focus on safety and productivity in developing our customized solutions. Additionally, we offer inspection and repair services through our team of certified rack inspection specialists, the Apex PROs.
The Apex PROs conduct thorough pallet rack and warehouse safety inspections resulting in a comprehensive report outlining any areas of concern. We also provide independent, custom-fit pallet rack repair kits if needed.
In between professional rack inspections, we equip our customers to assess pallet rack damage in the event of forklift strikes. We created the Apex Rack Repair App to give you the same tool used by our PROs. Rack Repair App is free to download and guides you through the inspection process. Once completed, simply upload your findings, and the Apex PROs will assess the severity of your rack damage and provide any next steps to ensure your team’s safety.
You can download the Apex Rack Repair App and try it today. It is available on and the App Store.
