In 2016 a packhouse employee was seriously injured by a reversing forklift while packing boxes. After assessing the incident, the regulator found not one, but three parties where at fault: the employer, the packhouse operator and the company supplying the trays. Forklift safety is more than having a trained operator, and this incident is just one example of how we all have a collective responsibility when it comes to the health and safety of our people.

Smart site design and safety features a good starting point for packhouse safety

As with any risk, preventing a serious injury starts with design. An intelligent packhouse floor design considers movement and activity flows throughout the packhouse and identifies high-risk, forklift-only areas to eliminate interactions between workers and forklifts.

Outside of forklift-only areas, the use of barriers and designated walkways will isolate workers from machinery. Forklift safety features should also be considered. Does the forklift have: an audible alarm, overhead guards, blue light tracking lights, an operator presence system, automatic stability systems, or orange forks to increase visibility?

At Maxtree, we have implemented the forklift safety light to help our people navigate working around forklifts. The initiative is based around two safety halos, one set 3 feet (1 meter) from the machine and another 6 feet (2 meters) from the machine.The safety lighting range has been developed to enhance site safety and increase pedestrian awareness of the presence of moving hazards. The range includes multiple solutions offering varied visual warning styles from spots, arrows, danger zones and safety repeaters all designed to increase site safety by using light as a visual warning device.