If you operate a warehouse, you know how important safety is for your workers. Warehouse workers are involved every year in accidents that may have been prevented with proper safety precautions in place. A warehouse pedestrian detection system is an example of a good way to keep your workers safe, especially if your warehouse has a lot of forklift traffic. Here are some things to know about a warehouse pedestrian detection system.
Use Your System On People, Forklifts, Or Both
Decide on the best way to set up your warehouse pedestrian detection system. Some systems place tags on forklifts and sensors at intersections so when the forklift gets near the intersection, an alarm goes off and warns pedestrians of an oncoming forklift.
Others require pedestrians to wear tags when they're on the warehouse floor. You can also install a system that requires tags to be worn by pedestrians and placed on forklifts too. When the tags get close to each other, an alarm goes off to warn the pedestrian and forklift driver to be careful at an upcoming intersection. The alarm might be visual lights or an audible alarm.
Consider A System That Works Through Walls
Warehouse pedestrian detection systems work using different technologies. Be sure to match the technology to your needs. Some detection devices can sense pedestrian tags through walls and through shelves packed with boxes. These reduce the risk of accidents at blind intersections. Alarms go off far enough in advance that pedestrians and forklift drivers know each other are close by even if they can't see each other.
Decide Where To Place The Detection Alarms
You'll want your warehouse pedestrian detection system to cover your entire warehouse so blind areas are covered as well as aisles and doors that are visible, but where pedestrians might not watch for forklifts due to being preoccupied with work tasks.
This might include putting a tag or sensor at the end of each aisle between racks where an intersection is created, on the loading dock, and on overhead doors. You might also consider additional safety features to use with your pedestrian detection system such as gates at blind intersections and overhead lights that act as traffic lights when pedestrians or forklifts approach.
Even with a pedestrian detection system, your staff needs to be trained and alert so they can avoid colliding. Since accidents can still sometimes happen, you might want to consider buying forklifts that automatically slow down when triggered by a detection device. However, if you have older equipment, that might not be possible. Installing the best detection system you can afford is a good way to improve safety in your warehouse and make employees feel safe while they work. For more information, contact a company that provides warehouse pedestrian detection systems.