Prioritising Safety in Material Handling
For any fleet manager, safety must take top priority. However, for many, simply complying with minimum safety requirements doesn’t go far enough. Whether motivated by a commitment to best practice or a strong sense of duty of care, numerous forklift purchasers are choosing to invest in additional safety features to achieve greater peace of mind.
Linde’s Safety Solutions
Linde offers an expansive suite of advanced safety enhancements that go beyond standard specifications. These options can be tailored for new forklift purchases or, in many cases, retrofitted to existing machines to elevate fleet safety.
Enhanced Visibility
Being seen and having a clear view are crucial not only for safety but also for operational efficiency,” says Allan Spackman, Technical Solutions Manager at Linde Material Handling.
Many conventional forklift lighting setups suffer from poor coverage, casting shadows or glare that can compromise the operator’s visibility. Linde counters this with solutions like the VertiLight and LED Stripes, which ensure uniform lighting across the working area, even in dimly lit environments, enabling safer and more accurate operation.
Linde’s BlueSpot and TruckSpot have also become benchmark safety tools. These devices project visual alerts—such as a blue dot or symbol—onto the ground to warn pedestrians and other vehicle operators of an approaching forklift.
Operator Alerts & Pedestrian Safety
In any busy worksite, interaction between forklifts and pedestrians is unavoidable—and inherently risky. To address this, Linde developed the Safety Guard system. This solution uses transmitters placed on forklifts, walls, shelving, or even worn by personnel to provide early warnings and reduce the risk of collisions.
Other cutting-edge operator warning technologies include:
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Linde Motion Detection: Monitors the surrounding area and alerts the operator to movement.
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Linde Surround View: Offers a full 360-degree view using camera systems to minimise blind spots.
Safe Load Handling
As warehouse environments grow more complex with higher racking and narrower aisles, the challenge of safely handling loads intensifies. Linde meets these demands with innovations such as:
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Dynamic Mast Control: Reduces mast sway during high-reach operations.
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Dynamic Reach Control: Minimises oscillation in VNA turret trucks.
Additional systems to improve handling safety include:
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Linde Speed Assist: Utilises sonar to detect overhead obstructions and reduce speed accordingly.
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Linde Curve Assist: Automatically decreases speed when navigating corners.
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Rack Protection Sensors: Prevent collisions with shelving.
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Aisle Safety Assist: Uses a digital warehouse map to control vehicle behaviour in high-risk zones, including limiting speed and lift functions.
Beyond the Basics
Linde continues to expand its safety portfolio with advanced options like:
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AI-based human detection cameras
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Reflective gear-based pedestrian alert systems
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Impact and collision detection tools
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Zonal speed restrictions
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Audible alarms and visual warning lights
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Physical barriers and clear signage
Choosing the Right Features
With such a broad range of safety technologies available, it’s essential to assess your operational needs thoroughly. Spackman advises that buyers consider where, how, and why forklifts are used on-site to make informed decisions.
“Selecting features from a checklist without engaging your Materials Handling Equipment (MHE) experts isn’t the best approach to ensuring a safe workplace,” he explains. Misapplied safety systems can not only be ineffective but may inadvertently introduce new risks.
According to Spackman, the right safety strategy involves a detailed assessment of your facility, applications, equipment, and the loads being moved. This ensures that safety enhancements are tailored to your unique environment.
He adds a critical reminder: no safety system can replace human responsibility. Even the most sophisticated technology is designed to support, not substitute, operator vigilance and sound practices.