Forklift Warning System | EMEA

Risk of human injury below forks being lowered
"Aerial work platform forklifts" capable of retrieving objects at heights of three meters or more in order to optimize work efficiency have been introduced for use at distribution warehouses with high shelves. To retrieve objects from such heights, first the forks are raised, pallet picking is performed, and then the forks are lowered and the load is carried to the destination. In actual work sites, there are cases where the forklift starts to move forward right after pallet picking in order to reduce wait time as a means to optimize work.
However, can you see what danger of human injury there is in this process?

Although the JIS D 6001-2 standard issued in 2016 obligates forklift drivers to visually confirm safety under the forks when lowering them, there is still a possibility that a person could enter below the forks from the blind spot of the driver, resulting in the risk of an accident if the driver does not notice the person.

Provide thorough warning with an easy measure you can apply immediately
In work sites such as these, it is effective to clearly notify persons working nearby of the danger.
IDEC, your safety measures specialists, recommend installing our HW1Z Illuminated Buzzers to provide both audible (sound) and visual (light) warnings to the area under the forks. HW1Z buzzers can be easily installed by just creating φ22-mm mounting holes, making it a product that reduces costs and time and effort while increasing safety.

The reason that sound and light are both necessary is that with sound only, it is hard to know where the sound is coming from in a dark warehouse at night, while with light only, it can be difficult to notice the light in the bright afternoon sun. Considering that these illuminated buzzers are to be used in distribution warehouses that operate night and day, and that they provide active warning to other workers, as opposed to the driver only performing a visual check, the HW1Z Illuminated Buzzers are the best safety measure for reliably providing warning of the presence of the forks.

Feel free to consult with IDEC for any safety measures for distribution warehouses
Additionally, IDEC uses our vast experience with and know-how of other warning devices using illuminated buzzers as well as safety measures and improving productivity to actively resolve issues faced by distribution warehouses. Please feel free to contact IDEC if you have any questions or concerns regarding forklift safety and parts.