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als that cut out traction and
hydraulic functions.”
What if something goes
wrong—say, an operator
becomes ill or incapacitated
while 30, 40, or 50 feet in the
air? A “kill switch” on the
control panel can be used to
cut the power in an emer-
gency. OSHA also requires
that every operator-up truck
have a mechanism that allows
someone on the ground to
slowly lower the operator’s
platform or cabin.
And if a fire breaks out
in a facility with operator-up trucks? Right now,
the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA), the
standards organization that
issues fire-prevention and
protection regulations, has no
protocol specifically for this
situation, says Matt Klaus,
principal fire protection engineer and the group’s expert
on sprinkler systems. These
systems are designed to protect goods, equipment, and
the building itself, as well as people on the ground. But “if, say, you have six-tiered
racks, a sprinkler system isn’t designed to suppress and control fire for a person that
high up in the air,” Klaus says. Because smoke rises, a facility may want to consider
a smoke management system in conjunction with its sprinkler system, he suggests.
EXPERIENCE COUNTS
The inherent dangers of operating high-reach equipment have prompted many
manufacturers to incorporate technology that enhances safety by taking some of the
decision-making away from the operator, Jungheinrich’s Ardito says. Some high-lift
trucks incorporate software that controls things like direction and speed of travel,
cornering speed, angle of steer, and lift height and speed. Jungheinrich’s optional
Warehouse Navigation System, for example, determines the optimal lift height for
order pickers as they travel between picking locations, raising and lowering the
operator’s platform and the forks to achieve the greatest safety, speed, and efficiency. Another example: Narrow-aisle and very-narrow-aisle trucks may be guided by
electromechanical wires embedded in the floor, so the operator doesn’t have to steer.
This prevents impacts with racks and reduces injuries and accidents; in wide aisles, it
allows two trucks to work different sides of the same aisle without worry of collision.
In smaller facilities, metal rails bolted to the floor offer similar benefits.
But while technology can go far in making high-lift trucks safer, it can only supplement human knowledge and decision-making. There is no substitute, says Cesar
Jimenez, director, product planning, technical and warranty for Toyota Material
Handling U.S.A., for a properly trained, experienced, and careful operator who
understands the potential dangers of these trucks and will exercise good judgment
when operating them.
