One of the most challenging and dangerous areas in a warehouse is the blind spots where forklift truck drivers encounter other forklift trucks or pedestrians. If you are looking for a simple yet highly effective way to make these areas safer, then the Polymer shuttle may be a good option for you.
In this article, we’re going to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Polymer shuttle blind spot system for warehouses.
The forklift truck is recognised as the most dangerous vehicle in the workplace and is responsible for an injury every seven minutes.
In the safest factories, there is total segregation of pedestrians and forklift trucks; however, this is very hard to achieve for most customers due to the level of interactions needed by both forklift trucks and people.
One high-risk scenario is where the forklift truck driver cannot see the pedestrian until it is too late. This is often caused by infrastructure, doorways, racking, or machinery. A typical forklift truck injury of this nature can cost a company hundreds of thousands of pounds, plus significant reputational damage, so it is in everybody’s interest to make these pinch points as safe as possible.
There are four main options to choose for when trying to make these areas safer:
The most commonly used product is a convex mirror mounted higher up in the blind spot area. A simple mirror is a great option and relatively low cost. The downside to a mirror is that it depends on the forklift truck driver being vigilant and looking at the mirror while simultaneously navigating a corner and looking out in all other directions. A mirror does not offer any audible or visual alerts if a pedestrian or a faulty truck is spotted. A mirror will cost you less than £100 plus installation.
Projected signage is also a great way to help forklift trucks and pedestrians. A projected floor marking sign can be used in conjunction with a microwave sensor to detect an approaching forklift truck, ensuring that the pedestrian stays well out of the way of the danger. A typical projected forklift truck warning will cost around £1500.
Proximity warning systems have been around for a while now, especially wearable technology. These work by having a wristband with a vibrating alert, which can notify any pedestrians wearing it and the forklift truck driver.
These systems cost around £3500 and have been successfully implemented at several factories. They do, however, require all pedestrians to be wearing them.
The fourth option is to install a Polymer shuttle. The Polymer shuttle consists of two PIR sensors, two flashing lights, and an audible alarm. The Polymer shuttle is designed to be mounted at 2 meters and is constantly looking for any traffic coming from both directions. The Polymer shuttle will detect traffic from up to 8 meters away, and if traffic is detected from both directions, an audible and visual alarm will be activated.
At just £400 each, the Polymer shuttle is a very cost-effective option for any blind spot in any factory. Manufactured from PVC, these devices contain built-in magnets to directly fix to racking, or they can be mounted on a wall with the anchor points provided. The Polymer shuttle is completely cordless and only requires an annual battery check.
If you have blind spots and pinch points in your warehouse, then the Polymer shuttle may be a good option for you. Unlike other systems, it does not require hard wiring, can be magnetically attached to racking, and is the only standalone system currently available to detect traffic coming from two directions and emit both audible and visual alerts.
If you have blind spots and pinch points within your warehouse and are looking to find a safe solution to this, get in touch for a free demonstration.