A new year, a new start. And the warehouse and logistics industry is no exception. With growing concerns surrounding the safety of workers in warehouses throughout 2014, the New Year has seen some advanced technological changes that have the potential to change workers’ safety as we know it.
In the USA, around 20,000 workers are seriously injured in fork-lifted related accidents in the warehouse, and in the UK, storage warehouses had the second highest rate of injury according to the 2012/13 report from the HSE. With reports such as this, it was vital that we improved on the health and safety of our warehouses, and made sure that our employees were protected whilst at work.
An innovative collection of solutions have been created to improve the safety, productivity and efficiency of the warehouse. One of these new solutions is called ‘Vero’, and offers numerous technologies that are to be used for a variety of functions. ‘VeroSafe’ delivers collision alerts to workers on the warehouse floor, eliminating the chances of accidents or pile-ups. The technology also collects data from the warehouse to produce information on how to keep improving the safety on site. Other modules include ‘VeroTrack’ which optimises productivity and ‘VeroCapture’ which is programmed to quicken the inventory process.
There has been particular emphasis on those employees who work in isolated areas and may not have a supervisor nearby to aid them in an emergency. As well as man-down alarms being carried around the warehouse, companies such as LoneALERT are offering full protection for those who work outside of usual operation hours, or are working on their own in a situation that could possibly become dangerous. With Smartphone apps and text-in services, LoneAlert are using the newest technologies to ensure the security of workers on site.
Also currently available on the market are high speed industrial doors that are able to detect moving and stationary metal objects within a certain area, not only ensuring that doors will only lift when a forklift truck or other moving object needs to enter or exit, but minimising the risk of doors closing on vehicles. The system’s insensitivity to weather conditions and wear guarantee its safety and provide a level of protection on another level.
Companies such as Attenborough Industrial Doors design and manufacture these products that are fitted with ‘photocells’ and used entirely as a safety device. ‘Photocells’ are able to detect any obstructions in an opening, whether this be a pedestrian or metal object, moving or standstill. The rise in popularity of products such as high speed doors reflects the demand for technology that will positively affect the environment of the warehouse in terms of both safety and efficiency.
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