The Future of Forklift Operator Assistance

With more than 1.5 million people working as forklift operators in the United States, finding ways to make their jobs safe and productive is often a priority for warehouse owners and managers.

Forklift operator assistance aims to help operators do their duties as quickly and safely as possible. These systems are becoming more prevalent in warehouses, making them the technology of the future. 

If you are in charge of a warehouse, you need to know how these systems work, how they benefit you and how you can implement them in your business processes. 

What Is Forklift Operator Assistance Technology?

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there were 5,486 worker fatalities in 2022, making workplace safety challenging for warehouse managers. Fortunately, technological improvements make it much easier to keep your employees safe while increasing warehouse efficiency. 

Implementing the right technology in the workplace can reduce accidents, effectively assess risks, increase productivity and provide custom solutions to address your main concerns — all while seamlessly integrating with your current systems to minimize disruption.

Types of Forklift Operator Assistance Technology

Understanding the different types of technological assistance you can implement in your warehouse can help you determine the best use cases for your business:

• Cameras: Adding cameras — especially those with a wider view — increases the operator’s field of vision so they can clearly see their route.
• Sensors: Sensors can detect when an obstacle is in the way of a forklift, alerting operators to obstacles they can’t see and helping them avoid collision.
• Tracking: You can track your forklifts to monitor their performance, allowing you deeper insight into analytics and possible areas of improvement. 
• Operator detection: Alongside detecting what’s surrounding the forklift, certain technologies can also detect when an operator is in their seat and help them get into the correct and safe position. 
• Load sensing: Forklift assistance technologies can also assess how much an item weighs and how stable it is, allowing them to prevent the load from tipping over. 
• Guidance: Instead of having operators manually guide a forklift, you can preprogram them to follow specific paths, reducing the risk of accidents caused by human error.

How to Use Operator Assistance Technology for Warehouses

You may think that operator assistance technology mainly benefits the employees driving forklifts, and while that’s true, it also has advantages for the warehouse as a whole. To make the most of these systems, you need to know how to use them. 

Here are some of the most common applications of operator assistance: 

• Automatic speed adjustments: Advanced technology can automatically adjust the speed in certain areas of your warehouse to reduce accidents due to speeding. You can select zones where the forklift’s speed is controlled and program them to slow down at the end of an aisle to prevent collisions due to braking too late. 
• Load limits: Operator assistance technology can detect when loads are too heavy for the forklift’s weight limit and will prevent operators from loading these objects. 
• Accident avoidance: A forklift anti-collision system helps detect items in the way and automatically reduces travel speed to avoid crashes. 
• Access control: You can limit certain zones so forklifts equipped with assistance technology can’t enter them. You can also prevent equipment from entering certain areas based on height restrictions. 

What Are the Benefits of Operator Assistance Technology for Warehouses?

1. Increased Productivity

Technology makes tasks easier and faster. Using operator assistance technologies means that operators can perform their duties quicker and with fewer mistakes, freeing up more time to focus on their work. 

If workers can spend less time inspecting forklifts and ensuring a clear path, their forklift duties will be faster and easier. Plus, technology doesn’t make the same mistakes as humans. While your operators may miss something during forklift inspection or operation, technological systems are more likely to catch problems proactively.

Accidents and collisions cost your business time. When a forklift crashes into something, its load may topple over, someone could get hurt and the equipment may become damaged — all of which reduce your efficiency.

Time-consuming tasks like lifting and transporting can be completed in a fraction of the time with technology. Finding ways to increase productivity can make a big difference.

2. Cost Savings

Because of increased efficiency, your business can get more done in less time, allowing you to complete jobs quicker and take on new ones, driving revenue more effectively. Fewer accidents also mean that you will save on expenses associated with the following:

• Harmed loads: Forklift accidents could cause loads to fall or obtain damage, which means you must cover the cost of replacing the items. 
• Damaged forklifts: Your forklift could also get damaged during a collision. Repairing or replacing heavy machinery is expensive, and operator assistance can reduce these costs. 
• Potential medical bills: Depending on how your business works, you might be liable for your employees’ workplace injuries, leaving you with severe medical bills due to mishaps. Since operator assistance reduces the chance of accidents, the fees associated with them also decrease. 
• Lost time: In a fast-paced environment like a warehouse, time is money, which means that time lost due to accidents also affects your income. 

3. Improved Safety 

Better workplace safety benefits everyone involved. Your employees benefit from a safer working environment and a smaller chance of injury. You can also worry less about your team and equipment.

Forklift operator assistance can assess risks and help employees avoid them. If a load is unbalanced, the technology will alert the operator so that they can correct it. If a forklift driver isn’t seated in the right position, it will warn them so they can operate safely. It also helps them avoid obstacles and stay on the right path, avoiding collisions with items and people. 

4. Better Training 

Since technology monitors forklifts and collects data, warehouse managers are provided with in-depth insights into how their operators use them. Using this information, managers can determine any gaps in the system and find ways to improve. 

With consistent feedback, managers can use forklift technology to train their employees and help them do their jobs better.

Choosing the Right Forklift Operator Assistance Technology 

When selecting the right technology for your team, you must ensure that you choose a reputable and reliable brand. For example, Yale Reliant^™ has an advanced Operator Assist System (OAS) offering various sensor and detection systems to ensure operators can effectively move forklifts through the warehouse. 

Some Yale forklifts, like the GP30-40N, come equipped with Yale Reliant OAS to experience all the benefits this innovative technology offers. 

Contact Alta Material Handling for Your Forklift Needs

If you’re ready to increase operator safety and productivity, you need a reliable supplier to have safe and efficient forklifts. At Alta Material Handling, we pride ourselves on quality products and excellent service throughout the process. From sales staff to help you with the perfect equipment selection to technicians who can assist with repairs, we’re here to serve you.

Check out our range of forklifts to see what we have available. Find a branch near you or contact us for more information.