A near-death incident involving a forklift truck has prompted the need for improved safety technology to keep personnel safe.
On January 21, a Fort Worth man operating a forklift escaped with his life when the forklift turned over on top of him. According to CBS Dallas-Fort Worth, the contract employee had placed material atop the forklift which caused it to tip over.
To get the man out from under the forklift, Fort Worth’s Rescue-14 crew had to gingerly lift the forklift by inflating several air-filled bladders beneath the truck. An ambulance then transported the man, in stable condition, to the hospital. Fort Worth Fire Department Capt. J.W. Brunson said the man suffered a serious leg injury during the incident.
This incident is proof that even though personnel must be educated on the proper safety procedures when handling lift truck battery equipment and operating the lift trucks themselves, accidents still happen — and these accidents lead to devastating injury, even fatality. Each year, forklift accidents cost American companies approximately $3.7 billion and result in 20,000 serious injuries and 100 deaths.
That’s why companies like Q-Track are working to improve safety technology used in everyday forklift operation.
According to a January 14 WebWire article, Q-Track is looking to help reduce the damage done by forklift accidents with a collision avoidance system called SafeSpot. The SafeSpot technology employs electromagnetic ranging and location systems to send out low-frequency, long-range signals to detect objects and personnel obstructing the forklift’s path.
By allowing the forklift to differentiate between personnel and other forklifts, the SafeSpot system eliminates false positives and prevents the forklift from colliding with objects and people.
And with technologies like the SafeSpot system in place, operating forklifts can be a little safer for everyone involved, and the risk of using forklifts for everyday operations can be greatly reduced for companies across the country.