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6 Smart Ways to Boost Forklift Safety and Increase Efficiency at Loading Docks & Worksites

forklift safety on loading dock

Loading docks are the essential hub for manufacturing plants, distribution centres and warehouses. They play a pivotal role in terms of loading and unloading freight. 

While loading docks are typically surrounded by a receiving bay and situated near a storing room, they can also be one of the hazardous sites within a facility, especially when such fast-paced work involves fork trucks or other material handling machinery.

And for logistics operators, efficiently managing loading docks is the key to faster order delivery. So, the safety of such areas needs to be taken care of, which also enhances efficiency and performance. 

Below are the 6 forklift safety solutions dock managers can apply in their industrial premises to reduce delays and increase productivity.

Forklift Camera System – For All-Around Visibility.

The design of Camera systems is to provide extra eyes to increase safety and efficiency, and when it comes to material handling, attaching a camera to the forklift makes things better.

At the loading dock, the most crucial thing is to optimize the loading and unloading of goods, especially from heights, and this needs 100 percent accuracy.

A cutting-edge forklift camera system with 360-degree viewing capability can drastically reduce the number of trials and errors as top, bottom, right and left views are visible on the LCD panel. The camera system will improve efficiency and decrease the chances of onsite damage to goods.

Forklift Lights – For Safety and Efficiency

What is a better option than warning the pedestrians to keep their distance from the forklift and reducing the product damage and transportation time? For instance, a forklift laser light projects a laser beam, indicating the exact fork position. This clear sign lets the forklift operator know where to line up the pallets and racks.

Similarly, the blue headlights and blue arrow light from the forklift warn the pedestrians or other vehicles in a docking area, especially when a forklift is reversing. The beam projection on the ground informs the pedestrians to know the approaching equipment and remain at a safe distance.

Radar detection system – Keeping A Clear Line of Sight.

Automobile and blind spots can be a bad combination. Forklift operators may have to deal with king-size loads that obscure their vision. 

And when a tall load blocks the sight, there are chances of accidents, or the forklift operator might have to try things such as reversing, slowing down or honking the horn to avoid a collision. The tall load creates an unsafe working atmosphere but also reduces efficiency. 

So, it is critical to maintain optimum visibility every time to avoid mishaps. By attaching a radar-based blind-spot detection system to the forklift, the Operator can navigate the blind spots without going too low on speed or travelling back to see clearly.

Forklift Speed limiter – When Speed Is not Desirable.

Speeding in every sense is dangerous, but at the same time, moderate speeding is also necessary to keep the work efficiency levels up to the mark. Meanwhile, Forklifts are bulky and potentially heavy industrial vehicles to be operated carefully to avoid disasters. 

You cannot drive a forklift at high speeds to cut downtime because it will only lead to accidents.

The only option that remains, in this case, is to fit a speed limiter system, which can warn the pedestrian or other approaching vehicles to keep a distance.

You can set the speed limit in the device, and once the forklift operator crosses the permissible threshold, it will sound an alarm and alert the nearby people.

Anti-collision system – For Proactive Safety.

Primarily, a forklift’s working mechanism is electric. Hence, while operating, it makes very little noise. Therefore, the driver might encounter certain blind spots such as entrances, T-shaped intersections, storage shelves and exits. An anti-collision system equipped with an ultrasonic probe can calculate the distance up to 3 meters and alert the driver about the blind zone, thus boosting visibility and reducing liability.

Ultrasonic sensors – For Accurate Pallet Detection.

The ultrasonic sensor is another Smart tool to increase efficiency and performance at docks. The system monitors specific areas of the forklift ensuring accuracy and reliability.

With these sensors, the Operator can determine the correct position of the pallet. This real-time information allows accurate control and guarantees appropriate transport of the material.

Summary – The Business Value of Smartly Managing Loading Dock.

With the above safety solutions, drivers can load and unload quickly and effectively meet their work schedules. They can be dispatched to available docks helping to boost efficiency. 

And most importantly, these safety solutions help dock managers work more proficiently with reduced stress.

SharpEagle, with its cutting-edge forklift safety solutions, help you increase safety and prevent damage to goods from your stock while simultaneously reducing monitoring workloads. Call us today to get more insight.

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