A new forklift collision avoidance system from Flow-Rite Safety Solutions is designed to increase safety in the material handling industry where forklifts are used. The patent-pending system is called Crossing Guard and its manufacturer says the product detects potential accident victims in warehouses and other business environments using infrared, ultrasound (or combination) sensors, with an optional weight-sensitive model available.
Crossing Guard utilizes a high-intensity LED light and audible alarm to warn forklift operators and pedestrians of potential danger. It requires no hard wiring, but instead uses an inexpensive solar panel to power the system. A rechargeable DC battery is powered by this solar technology as it gathers ambient light even inside a warehouse. Another battery backs up the system, notifying the operator when it needs an optional plug-in recharge or battery replacement.
Crossing Guard is one of “the only forklift collision awareness systems that requires the detection of two separate motions to trigger an alarm,” according to a company press release available at https://www.promatshow.com/press/exhibitors.aspx . The system will be featured at Flow-Rite Safety’s booth (245) at next month’s ProMat 2013 trade show in Chicago. Flow-Rite Safety Solutions Inc. is a Canadian company whose mission is research and development of high-quality safety products. Its United States office is located in the Milwaukee suburb of Jackson, Wisconsin, and its official website is online at https://www.crossingguardsafety.com/ .
Crossing Guard’s requirement of two separate motion inputs means the system “goes off” with a false alarm less frequently. But it also can detect “motionless individuals” – like a person standing still, engaged in conversation or otherwise unaware of the forklift – which is a major improvement for avoiding collisions. Flow-Rite Safety Solutions vice-president of sales and marketing Dave Klumb said in the release that “[…] we wanted to take the error out of human error.”
“Unfortunately, as safety managers and industrial hygiene experts know,” Klumb said, “forklift operators and employees that routinely walk through a manufacturing plant or distribution center often become immune to warning systems that frequently sound false alarms.” He added that Crossing Guard can detect “a person who is standing still and obscured from the forklift operator’s vision” and that the potentially life-saving system is both affordable and reliable.