Warehouse safety for efficient material flow
The bigger picture
Safety in the warehouse or production environment is the number one priority in intralogistics. With ever-increasing demands on material handling these days, it is essential to have reliable measures in place to protect operators and employees, as well as the goods being transported, the shelves and any other equipment. Industrial trucks have to work more and more quickly, flexibly and efficiently to meet these growing requirements. These challenges increase the risk of accidents.
Focus on occupational safety
Research by the Statistical Office of the European Union demonstrates just how significant the issue of occupational safety is: According to an analysis of work accidents in the EU, almost 18 percent of all major accidents are caused by transportation and storage. This is more than in manufacturing where the figure stands at around 14 percent (EUROSTAT 2017). A recent case study from Germany took a closer look at warehouse safety (DGUV 2021). According to this study, an average of over 133 truck-related accidents per working day occur in German warehouses, including 60 accidents involving forklift trucks and 13 involving hand pallet trucks.
“Little” accidents also count
As well as those resulting in personal injury, work accidents also include those that cause property damage to the trucks involved, or to the goods being transported and the infrastructure. The primary goal is always to protect people’s lives. In practice, however, it is minor property damage that occurs most frequently, which leads to repair costs and disruptions to the work flow. A comprehensive safety concept should therefore also include measures to reduce this financial burden and increase productivity. Just as importantly, operators have a greater sense of security if they have the support of an assistance system. This allows the operator to focus on handling goods, resulting in greater productivity.
The vision: 100% accident-free
Linde Material Handling has one clear goal: to avoid 100 percent of accidents in intralogistics. This is the driving force behind “Vision zero” – a safety philosophy with the aim of increasing safety in internal transportation and preventing forklift accidents and other incidents when handling goods. With this in mind, Linde is developing technical innovations in our industrial trucks, as well as intelligent assistance systems, comprehensive training programmes and consulting services. The result is integrated solutions which help companies to master the diverse challenges of modern, safe intralogistics.
Safety – The bigger picture
Safety in the warehouse and production environment is not just a matter of fitting the truck with the right technical equipment – it is about looking at material flows, internal processes and employee qualifications as a whole. In order to record and optimise all factors that affect safety, Linde offers a structured advisory service, digital fleet management and an extensive training programme.
Digital fleet management
The digital fleet management solution Connect, offers numerous functions which improve the safety of the operator and therefore increase safety in the warehouse. Using the personalised access controls, the forklift can be individually configured for a particular operator. For example, depending on the operator’s qualifications and the intended purpose of the truck, the maximum speed can be limited. In turn, when beginning work the operator can verify the condition of their truck using an app. In addition, connect offers functions such as electronic damage monitoring, automated transmission of error codes and analysis of usage data.
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Education and training programme
Training your operators is a sure-fire way to prevent accidents of all kinds. Linde Material Handling offers a comprehensive education and training program for novice operators and specialists in all types of trucks. The focus is on seminars in which specialists such as operating instructors and safety officers can offer basic and further theory and practical training. By offering this programme, Linde is supporting its customers to continuously improve warehouse safety and to avoid forklift accidents.
Find out moreSafety as standard
Forklift trucks and warehouse trucks from Linde Material Handling are fitted as standard with numerous features which increase both active and passive safety in the warehouse and thus prevent forklift accidents. This starts with the contour of the truck: The operator’s workplace is designed so that their entire body stays within the contours of the truck, while at the same time allowing them to keep an eye on their surrounding environment. With all its trucks, Linde attaches great importance to clear visibility for the operator.
Clear visibility of the load and environment
Clear visibility of the load and environment
Even at full speed, operators can rely on the safety features that are fitted as standard in Linde trucks. Many Linde industrial trucks are equipped with several different independent braking systems. Standard features include automatic parking brakes, which prevent the trucks from rolling away unintentionally on ramps or when loading HGVs. In addition, Linde Curve Assist automatically adjusts the speed when cornering.
Reliable load handling
A key performance feature of Linde forklift trucks is the safe handling of heavy loads. For example, the tilt cylinders on the electric and IC trucks are attached to the rear of the stable roof and frame structure. The longer lever length makes the mast even more stable and results in less swinging when stacking at high lifting heights. This allows the operator to work more precisely, quickly and – above all – more safely. The design also features slimmer mast profiles, which improves visibility.
Fatigue-free working
Operator’s workstation in a reach truck
Operator’s workstation in a reach truck
Ergonomic working conditions are a central requirement for fatigue-free and therefore safe working. Linde attaches great importance to giving employees the best possible protection from harmful vibrations and jolts. Decoupled drive and steering axles and decoupled operator workstations are effective technology solutions that ensure maximum operating comfort in Linde industrial trucks, thus improving the operator’s concentration.
Safe interaction with the working environment – Light and warning systems
Pedestrian Warning Band
The Pedestrian Warning Band is the latest addition to Linde Material Handling’s innovative Safety Guard system. It has been designed to alert wearers, in particular pedestrians, to potential hazards ahead of time. The smart technology in the band warns wearers of potential dangers using light signals, vibrations and acoustic warnings, thereby maximising warehouse safety both indoors and outdoors.
Linde Safety Guard
Wherever industrial trucks are in use, a complex interplay between man and machine exists. Linde Safety Guard is an innovative assistance system which increases safety for both truck operators and pedestrians in the vicinity of the truck.
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Linde BlueSpot™
The Linde BlueSpot™ route warning system increases warehouse safety, as the LED spot makes forklifts silently visible.
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VertiLight and LED Stripes
Having the right amount of light at all times is essential to work efficiently with industrial trucks and for warehouse safety. With the Linde VertiLight and Linde LED Stripes, Linde Material Handling offers two innovative lighting concepts.
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Linde TruckSpot™
Narrow racking aisles, visually restricted intersections and confusing areas often make it difficult for pedestrians to see a reversing forklift in time. The Linde TruckSpot™, an optical warning signal solution, uses a light signal to announce that the truck is approaching.
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Safe forklift and load handling – Operator assistance systems
Load management advanced
Linde Load Management Advanced makes moving goods with pallet stackers easier and safer. It gives the operator clear visual and acoustic warning signals on a large colour display. It even disables the lifting function automatically if the actual load weight exceeds the maximum load capacity.
Load management advanced
Linde Load Management Advanced makes moving goods with pallet stackers easier and safer. It gives the operator clear visual and acoustic warning signals on a large colour display. It even disables the lifting function automatically if the actual load weight exceeds the maximum load capacity.
Linde Safety Pilot
Using the Safety Pilot from Linde Material Handling when operating counterbalance forklift trucks helps to reduce the risk of tipping. A small monitor allows the operator to see important parameters at all times, such as the load weight and the load centre distance. If the operating status of the truck becomes critical, warning colours appear on the monitor and it emits a warning signal.
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Dynamic Mast Control
Linde Material Handling’s Dynamic Mast Control operator assistant system for reach trucks reduces mast oscillations, especially at high lifting heights, which improves efficiency and safety in the warehouse.
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Active Stability Control
Very narrow aisle trucks are used for working at great height. The aisles are narrow and the distances to the rack are calculated very precisely. Due to this, even the slightest unevenness in the warehouse floor can become a problem. Linde Material Handling’s Active Stability Control assistance system for the K truck provides an innovative solution.
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Aisle safety assistant
Linde’s Aisle Safety Assistant (ASA) helps to reduce damage to the warehouse environment as the forklift adapts its movement to its surroundings. With the help of the ASA, the very narrow aisle truck navigates using RFID tags embedded in the floor or barcodes that are affixed to the rack columns.
Find out moreOn the road to better warehouse safety
As the connecting link between all our products and services, Linde Material Handling’s “Vision zero” philosophy has proven to be extremely successful in the world of intralogistics. The solutions designed with this philosophy in mind are setting new records for safety in internal transportation. The advice and service offerings enable people to create the safest possible working environment for them. The innovative, digital solutions support users to continuously improve their processes.
On the road to safe intralogistics
As the connecting link between all our products and services, Linde Material Handling’s “Vision zero” philosophy has proven to be extremely successful in the world of intralogistics. The solutions designed with this philosophy in mind are setting new records for safety in internal transportation. The advice and service offerings enable people to create the safest possible working environment for them. The innovative, digital solutions support users to continuously improve their processes.
