IEN: What are the major machine and worker safety issues facing industry? How can they be addressed?
O''Brien: The idea of a factory without forklifts is almost unthinkable. Yet these thoughts pass through the minds of many managers because of the tremendous risk of operating a 5 ton vehicle alongside people in confined spaces under tight schedules.
The numbers convey the dangers. In a typical year forklifts accidents kill100 workers and seriously injure another 200,000. Viewed in another way: while forklifts account for just 1% of industrial accidents, they produce 10% of the physical injuries. The annual cost of these injuries for companies pushes over $135 MM.
One of the major types of accidents occurs when the unprotected pedestrian comes up against this large vehicle -- usually while being distracted -- and of course loses. But being inside the vehicle does not protect the driver and injuries are sustained when forklifts drive off docks.
For many production and distribution facilities the functions performed by these machines, which freely roam the floor and place and pick pallets from high rack slots, cannot be replaced by conveyors, AGVs, carts, or other means of material handling.
Training is always a good first step; however, with the fast-paced industrial environment, an abundance of distractions can catch a worker''s attention and produce harmful consequences. One means of cutting down on the personal risk is through changes in forklift design.
IEN: Where are strides being made: In ease of integration? Flexibility and scalability? Safety management? Personal injury prevention? Risk management? Safety design? Emergency response? Hazard controls? Elsewhere?
O''Brien: Aisle-Master has developed a forklift design with articulated fork operation that turns the steering and mast through 90° for easier driving and access to pallets, no matter where they are positioned, even in narrow aisles. This approach and other features on this "narrow-aisle" forklift have led to additional safety benefits to overcome these material handling challenges:
Visibility -- the combination of rigid forklift masts on standard models and high pallet loads create major obstructions and distractions for the driver, impairing the ability to spot pedestrians. During the operation of the Aisle-Master forklift, the articulated forks and mast are many times out of the driver''s line of sight, especially during turning when the greatest distraction level occurs. For their own safety, drivers pay more attention to where they are going, reducing the possibility of accidentally driving off loading docks.
Maneuverability -- in the act of approaching a pallet to pick it up or place it in a desired spot, a counterbalance or reach forklift with rigid forks has a limited range of movement, especially in narrow aisles. The driver has to concentrate more on the target and can focus less on the people on the floor around the vehicle. The 90° articulation on the Aisle-Master forklift gives drivers greater freedom to pick a path that is safer for bystanders and to watch out for both them and objects in the vicinity. (Rough terrain, as seen here, is no problem, with pneumatic tires to help the vehicle cover ground and a suspension seat to reduce vibrations and risk of injury to driver.)
Double-Handling -- staged pallets can turn dock areas into obstacle courses. Traversing this zigzag path creates high levels of distraction for forklift drivers. The solution to cut down on this clutter for docks where trucks are loaded in the yard would be to directly run loads outside.
The problem is that often a forklift used for navigating warehouse aisles cannot handle the rough terrain. Therefore one forklift services the shelving area while another handles loads to the outside. In between, pallets need to be staged.
Aisle-Master''s goal is to provide one versatile vehicle capable of squeezing through the confines of the indoors, yet rugged enough to cover ground outside. To do this double-duty, the maneuverable Aisle-Master forklifts have super-elastic tires and hydrostatic drives for handling loading/unloading in the great outdoors. The machine''s 67 hp engine lets it effortlessly tackle ramps or gradients.
Emissions -- applications that require forklifts to work primarily indoors, or where the product handed is sensitive to emissions, were forced to use electrically powered trucks. The need to change batteries throughout the work shift entails considerable downtime for these forklifts. The Aisle-Master units run on LP gas and have 3-way catalytic converters that eliminate 98% of harmful emissions. These models are the first engine-powered "narrow-aisle" forklifts to work successfully inside and comply with current EPA regulations.
Ergonomics -- Aisle-Master forklifts are fitted with large, solid pneumatic tires and a suspension seat that improves operator comfort when the truck is both used inside and outdoors. These features reduce vibrations and risk of injury when the truck is traveling over expansion joints or rough yards. (Powerful 67 LPG powered engine propels the Aisle-Master up inclines for easy building access.)
The safety-conscious design team at Aisle-Master puts an emphasis on ergonomics; therefore the driver station has been designed for optimum comfort and control. For example, the direction lever has a safety mechanism to prevent operators accidentally knocking the truck into "drive." The electrically powered emergency brake is located for rapid access and stops the truck instantaneously.
In addition, the access steps, grab handles, and pedals have been arranged to provide comfort for operators working long shifts and to reduce the likelihood of repetitive strain injuries.
IEN: To what extent can companies integrate safety systems into other industrial systems?
O''Brien: Thanks to the ability of the Aisle-Master to function within aisles as tight as 7 ft, facilities can actually reduce the amount of space required for storage. Some operations might opt to use the additional volume within their building for more shelving. For a safer dock, part of this "found" space could be used to enlarge the dock, providing more driving room and decreasing sharp turning to reduce accidents.