Yale develops safety add-ons - reversing system and safety lights

THE PATENT-PENDING Reverse Speed System is said to be particularly useful where high numbers of temporary or agency staff are employed, such as in retail and e-commerce warehouses, or third-party logistics (3PL) operations.

The system includes a sensor next to the rear drive handle, which detects when a hand is positioned on the handle. When the sensor is activated, it allows the truck to reach full reverse speed. If the sensor is not activated the reverse speed is limited to 2 km/h. Holding the handle encourages the operator to look in the direction of travel while reversing which is standard practice and important for keeping clear of pedestrians and objects in the path of travel. When the sensor is activated, the forward speed is limited to 8 km/h to minimise operator bypass of the system.

Yale Lift Truck Technologies vice president marketing and solutions EMEA Robert O’Donoghue, said: “Warehouses may find that the Reverse Speed System can help to enhance efficiency and productivity, keeping lift trucks and the operation moving, while supporting safety,” says Robert.  “Certain operations may also benefit from the new Dynamic Pedestrian Awareness Lights option.”

These compact LED lights can be front and/or rear mounted on most Yale electric forklifts, and are direction activated. They work in a similar way to ‘spot’ pedestrian lights, except that they display a dynamic, repeating, “progressively flashing” blue arrow pattern on the floor. This pattern provides visible indication to nearby pedestrians or truck operators that a lift truck is approaching, as well as indicating what direction it is approaching from.

“Fast paced intralogistics operations may have a high number of pedestrians who could potentially benefit from this solution,” says Robert. “Equally, it may be useful in warehouses where there are blind corners, cross aisles, or unloading operations with sub-optimal visibility conditions.”

Dynamic Pedestrian Awareness Lights can also be supplied with selected Yale internal combustion forklifts. However, operations must take into account the fact that LED lights can be completely invisible in brightly lit conditions, such as in daylight.

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