With around one in 10 fork lift trucks involved in an incident where someone is injured or killed every year, and one in six workplace deaths related to the use of fork lift trucks, digital technology company Control F1 has now been shortlisted for a Travis Perkins Innovation Award (TPIA) for their pioneering idea for making fork lift trucks safer.
The Control F1 team – who also created H&S reporting and risk management system Notify – plan to equip fork lift trucks with a system which can automatically detect human movement, provide variable warnings (audible and visual) to both the driver and pedestrian, and if necessary automatically apply the brakes.
The concept is to use connected cameras and software technology fitted directly to the vehicle. The cameras will automatically detect human movement (as opposed to static objects) within the directional range of the fork lift truck and calculate the velocity and direction to identify potential collisions before they take place.
The system is also designed to provide audible and visual warning systems for the driver and pedestrian, as well as the potential for autonomous braking to help prevent incidents. Furthermore, the system will automatically record video and data from near misses and incidents, which could be used in conjunction with reporting systems such as Control F1’s Notify incident and risk management solution.
Control F1 MD Andy Dumbell says: “80% of fork lift accidents involve a pedestrian, and one in six work related deaths involve a fork lift truck so this is a gravely serious matter.
“We believe that our solution could be life saving, and we are delighted to have been shortlisted for a Travis Perkins Innovation Award. We very much hope that this will help us to kick start an initiative that will improve the safety of everyone who works in or around fork lift trucks.”
