Troubling Health and Safety Issues Confronting the Material Handling Industry

According to EUROSTAT, material handling equipment accounts for 10% of all major workplace injuries in the European Union, and 14% of workers killed by mobile equipment are younger than 25. In the United Kingdom, forklifts cause more injuries than any other machine, and 57% of those injured are pedestrians.

These statistics demonstrate how mobile equipment is a real threat to worker safety. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has helped increase that threat. When thinking about the COVID-19 virus and workplace safety and health, we often focus on the direct cost of those who lost their lives or had their health negatively impacted. However, the pandemic has also had many indirect costs, including a drop in overall workplace safety.

A less experienced workforce

One of the most talked-about effects of the pandemic is its dramatic and lasting effects on the global workforce and economy. There is now a shortage of workers. In fact, so many people have quit or left the workforce entirely that they gave the trend a name, The Great Resignation.

There are many theories as to why this happened. Time to reflect during quarantine, and the threat of losing their lives or loved ones, has caused many to reprioritize. Some are retiring early, others are working fewer hours, and many are leaving industries they view as too dangerous or where they feel undervalued.

As a result, there are more job openings than workers ready or willing to fill them, forcing many companies to go understaffed or pay more for less-skilled workers. In industries that use hazardous equipment like forklifts, settling for less qualified operators has increased the risk of accidents and endangered employee safety.

High demand and increased pressure

As the world economy reopens, demand for goods and services is returning to pre-pandemic levels. However, the productive capacity of many nations has not bounced back as quickly as they would hope. Supply chain issues, and shortages of raw materials and other goods and services, continue to plague many industries.

In addition, companies that survived the pandemic are now under extreme pressure to meet demand with less skilled, understaffed, and overworked crews. All factors that come together to create a less safe working environment.

The duty of care

The duty of care is a company's legal responsibility to safeguard its employees' physical and emotional well-being. A company that fails or refuses to take reasonable steps to protect employees from known hazards has breached its duty of care.

The consequences of breaching this responsibility depend on local law, but it can result in legal action and personal liability. Moreover, lawsuits take valuable time and resources away from a company's main objectives and bring media attention which can damage a company's reputation.

A reasonable person can see how dangerous it is to work around mobile equipment like forklifts, and companies have a duty of care to protect their workers from those risks.

SEEN Safety can help

The above factors are converging to make this one of the most challenging times to operate a business. Unfortunately, many companies are beginning to experience an upswing in serious workplace accidents with devastating consequences. Companies need all the help they can get to survive these demanding times and uphold their duty to keep their workers safe.

SEEN Safety's industry-leading forklift and mobile equipment sensors have protected countless pedestrians all over the globe. SEEN can help to provide your employees with the safe working environment they deserve.

An active approach and priceless peace of mind

The goal of any safety program should always be accident prevention, not just accident response. However, the safety devices you currently find on forklifts just aren't good enough. Passive systems like forklift safety cages and seat belts lessen the effects of accidents on drivers, but they do nothing to protect pedestrians.

SEEN Safety takes a different approach to forklift safety. Their industry-leading IRIS-860 sensor is an active safety measure designed to prevent accidents from happening and protect pedestrians. The sensors detect when a person has entered a hazardous area around mobile equipment and audibly alert the operator. No tag is needed, the sensors simply detect the retro reflective tape found on common high vis safety clothing.

It's like having a spotter with you 24/7, and the peace of mind that operators and management get with SEEN Safety is priceless. They now know that even if they make a mistake, there is always a second set of eyes watching their back.

Easy to implement and effective from day one

The most effective measures are also often the simplest. SEEN’s IRIS-860 sensors are simple to implement across your entire fleet and require zero changes to employee behavior to be effective. That is because the sensors leverage one of the most commonly used pieces of personal protective equipment in the material handling industry, the high visibility vest. The sensors pick up on the PPE that your employees are already wearing, and they don't need to change a thing.

The IRIS-860 is easy to install, requires no special knowledge to implement, needs minimal maintenance, and is incredibly reliable in all conditions. They also complement other safety systems like halo and blue light perfectly and add an audible level of protection to other visual forklift safety systems.

Talk to SEEN today

The world is changing, and there are more reasons than ever for companies to take a proactive approach toward safety. Providing your employees with a safe workplace is not only a legal obligation but is also a wise business decision. Doing everything possible to prevent accidents and injury to workers should be a top priority for any company.

SEEN Safety is here to help. Let their straightforward, effective, and affordable pedestrian safety system protect your most valuable asset, your workers. Contact SEEN Safety's experts today to find out all the ways their IRIS-860 sensor can help you tackle the issues confronting today's material handling industry. Schedule a demo today.